A Petal Among Thorns
by keyblader41996
Summary: -REVISED- Rosa Joanna Farrell, Cecil's wife, has joined Cosmos' ranks in the war of the gods, much to Cecil's dismay. After a random encounter with the Emperor, Rosa finds herself and the other warriors ensnared in the Emperor's schemes to lord over the cycle. It's up to her to stop him before it's too late. References to FFIV made often.
1. Chapter 1

Rosa's eyes were closed, but the light outside was so bright she had to shut them tighter. She didn't know where she was. The world was spinning, spinning, the air whipping around her so hard it hurt.

She tried to open her eyes, even a little, but the gold light assaulted her, forcing them shut. The air grew thick. She couldn't breathe, dizzy and disoriented.

There was one final flash, sparking behind her eyes.

And everything was still.

She didn't know how long she lay there afterwards, waiting for her head to stop spinning. When movement occurred to her she stretched out her fingers and felt cool, soft dirt underneath her ring finger and pinkie. Wondering where her first three fingers were, she ripped her eyes open in shock and realized she was just wearing a brown half-glove that covered her thumb, index, and middle finger. The last two on the glove were fingerless.

Rosa couldn't see much from where she was lying. Without moving her head, she roved her eyes around what she could see. A large stone archway that blocked everything behind it, patches of tall grass, and some stone structures she couldn't identify. She stretched her legs out and her foot touched something that scraped against the ground. Rosa shot up and scrambled away from it, afraid of whatever it was. She looked closely and saw three weapons carefully laid in the dirt - or, they _had_ been, before she kicked them. Ignoring the weapons, Rosa stared at the brown booties on her feet that she didn't recognize. She flexed her feet, as though it would confirm that they were in fact attached to her. She looked down her arms, at the white, spiked pauldrons on her shoulders. Her right arm was bare except for the glove on her hand, but under the pauldron on her left side was a leather guard that covered from her shoulder to her bicep. Her entire forearm was wrapped in a buckled bracer, and the glove on her hand was completely fingerless except for her thumb.

Her halter top was a pale yellow, almost gold. A patterned brassier-like top covered her bust, but the rest of the material was thin, shiny mesh, not quite see-through. With green ribbons that wove around her - like vines, she thought absently. White thigh-high stockings trailed up her legs, ending with a gold trim and a pink jewel. The jewel matched the guards she had over her knees. Shaped like shields, and the pink jewel in the center. She wore a deep, wine-red skirt, longer on one side than the other.

The weapons caught her attention again. Lying skew, the one she kicked was a gold staff. At the very top, framed in a gold setting, was a large diamond-shaped crystal. At the very bottom, a pink ribbon tied in a perfect bow, and up the whole length of the shaft were sculpted vines and roses, complete with thorns to make them look authentic. There were also gold accents that wrapped around the shaft. Beside it was a small dagger with an ornately decorated hilt. Diamonds, rubies, pearls, gems of every color covered nearly ever part of it except for the leather grip. The small scabbard was attached to a maroon belt, which she snatched up and clipped to her own belt.

The last weapon was a bow of beautiful craftsmanship. It appeared to have two sets of arms, one set within the other. The grip was attached to the outer set, of simple leather. But the arms of the bow had intricately carved swirling designs within them. The outer edges were painted with gold accents, pink flowers, and even blue butterfly wings. The inner set had a recurve shape, covered with carved thorns and roses. Complete with a brown belt quiver and gold-plumed arrows.

She didn't recognize the clothes. She didn't recognize the weapons. She didn't know where she was, and as the realization crashed down on her, panic set in. Her breath came faster and faster, and she started to tremble when she realized:

She didn't know anything except for her name.


	2. Chapter 2

She looked around frantically, taking in as much of the world as she could. Hoping to recognize something - _anything_ from the scene around her. She quickly realized she had nothing to use in comparison. She had been lying in dirt, she knew that at least. It was small, but having something sure to cling to pushed away some of the panic closing in on her. Rosa took a few deep breaths and twisted around to look behind her, noting the land as it came to a small taper. Beyond that was water. A large lake. She could see the mountains and crags on the other bank, but they were small and far away. The land wrapped around it on her right side. Just off the shore where she lay was a thick, rocky pedestal standing straight out of the water. Rosa craned her neck and tried to see what was at the top, but she couldn't see from her angle. All she could see that it was something white.

She turned back around and looked again at the archway and the grass around it. Except for the gentle lap of the water and the slight sound of moving wind, it was dead quiet. Like it hadn't been disturbed in years. Immediately her heart clenched with the feeling that she wasn't supposed to be there. As though she was interrupting the tranquility of that place. The panic shot down her hands and froze them, clenched in tight, trembling fists at her sides.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud, and her voice disappeared, swallowed by the silence.

She climbed to her feet. Slowly. Unsteadily. Feeling like she wasn't connected to her body. Her arms and legs moved at her command, but it didn't feel real. She felt placed there in her skin rather than belonging there from the start. And she was trembling. She heard a sound behind her, like a small ringing. When she turned, a yellow stone had appeared there.

Rosa grabbed the bow on the ground and strapped the quiver around her waist, then snatched the staff and slung it around her back as well. It felt right before she faced whatever the stone was.

It looked like a yellow diamond, encased in spiraled stone. She took a step closer and realized it was crystal. Just like her staff. Crystals must have been important there. The stone pulsed once, it's yellow light flaring, and Rosa scrambled away, afraid of what it could mean. She didn't know if it was dangerous. She didn't know what could happen to her if she touched it. And yet, looking into the soft yellow, she felt somewhat drawn to it. Something was grabbing onto her hand and pulling her towards it, urging her to touch it. She blinked, and stepped away again when she realized she had actually been pulled towards it.

She tried to turn away from it, from the glow, but her eyes refused to look away. Something about it held her gaze. She had to touch it. She had to find out.

" _Don't_!" she yelled to herself, but still her trembling legs inched her closer and closer to it. She watched her fingers stretch out, and the very tip of her gloved finger caught the stone.

The crystal pulsed again, and the light flew out towards her. It wrapped around her, holding her tight, and the floor dropped away from her. It solidified under her feet again before she could flail her arms. She opened her eyes, and her surroundings changed.

She was standing at the end of a long, narrow land bridge. Rosa looked behind her, and saw another crystal. It must be a teleportation device. She inched around the stone, careful not to touch it again, and peered over the edge as far as she dare. She was about a hundred feet in the air, on the pedestal she had noticed earlier. She could see straight down to where she woke up. That archway. The mountains and grass, and a bit of the water below. Rosa returned to the front of the teleport crystal and saw that the "white thing" she thought she saw from below was actually a dome. The white light she saw was the overall glow of the place.

She crossed the bridge to investigate, and moved to walk into the area when something stopped her. She bounced right off of whatever it was, momentarily confnused. She didn't see anything in front of her when she was approaching. Rosa placed her hands out, and sure enough, her hands stopped again, pressed flat against...something. Before her eyes, it ripples under her hands, and suddenly a pattern of transparent hexagons materialized. It was some kind of barrier.

Rosa huffed in frustration, and reset her hands further apart for better leverage. She braced one foot behind her and shoved with all her might. The barrier crumbled with much less force than she thought, and she phased right through it. She staggered into the dome, running forward to catch her balance.

No longer under the faded, clouded light of the stormy sky from before, Rosa shielded her face from the bright white shine of the new area. She blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted, then she took a look around. She was standing in a shallow pool of water, no more than an inch or two deep. Rosa kicked her foot and picked some of the water up, watching the droplets as they splattered feet away from her. There were clouds above her, but instead of the ominous, rolling grey of the clouds outside, these were of the purest white. Moving across the sky, but calmly. Combined with the soothing splash of the water, the place felt peaceful.

She could feel it ebbing away at her anxiety. Her breathing of the fresh air came easier, her shoulders relaxed from their tense positions, and her fists unclenched at her sides.

All around her there were crops of rocks around her, stuck randomly around the dome. In the center of the dome was one particular flat one, slightly elevated on two steps that rose out of the shallow water. It wasn't the particular pedestal that drew her attention, but the figure lying on it.

Her back was to Rosa, but from what she could see, the woman had a white dress on that matched the pure white of the whole dome. She had golden-blonde hair, perhaps a shade or two lighter than . . . What color was her hair? Rosa reached behind her and took hold of the long ponytail she felt overtop of the capes she barely noticed earlier. She pulled it out in front of her face as far as it would go and saw that her own hair was a pale, straw-blonde. The fact that she didn't even know her own hair color frightened her, but she left it alone for the moment, more concerned with the woman. The woman had a veiled tiara in her hair, and that was all the more Rosa could see of her. She was lying on her side on the pedestal, facing away.

Rosa approached slowly, trying to assess the situation but not knowing how. What if the woman was a threat? What if she wasn't? Rosa wasn't sure what she would do in either situation. She had the weapons but had no idea how to use them-

The woman stirred. She positioned her arms underneath her, and when she tried to prop herself up, Rosa saw her arms shake. The woman looked around, but still hadn't seen Rosa. She stupidly tried to retreat away from her, but her foot splashed in the water and alerted her. She turned slowly and Rosa froze, unsure if she should run.

The woman raised her eyes and looked into Rosa's. The brightest blue eyes that Rosa had ever seen stared into her, set within tired, puffy sockets. The woman's face was young and beautiful, with a sharp nose and slender jawline and when she smiled softly, tilting her head in sincerity, all the fight drained out of Rosa quickly. The woman's eyes felt impossibly deep, like she had all the knowledge and wisdom of the universe packed into them. They were not young eyes, burdened by experience, but still peaceful. And Rosa felt warmth and tenderness spread through her whole body from those eyes. She felt the magic and serenity that seemed to halo around the woman in a wide aura.

"Rosa. Rosa Joanna Farrell."

Rosa blinked. She had said something. "W-what?"

"You are Rosa? Rosa Joanna Farrell?"

"Y-yes. Who are you?"

"Cosmos. I am the one who summoned you to this world."


	3. Chapter 3

Another new cycle.

Another loss. Another jagged tally mark gouged on Discord's scoreboard.

Not surprising - hardly any of them ended in Cosmos' favor anymore.

No matter how hard Cecil wracked his brain he couldn't remember just how many cycles he'd seen, but it didn't matter. He didn't care anymore. The numbers meant nothing when compared to the knowledge that all of it would be repeated. All he cared to know was that he survived there long enough to reclaim most of what he'd lost. Long enough that the pieced memories had slowly connected into the almost-complete puzzle of his recollection.

Warrior of Light shifted next to him, sniffing slightly in the silence, and Cecil listened to the echo as it crept through the stiff air of the Lunar Subterraine. The sound wrapped around his mind and tugged him back to the present, and immediately his eyes burned. He didn't even realize he had been staring. He pressed his palms to his eyes and blinked away tears and stars, thinking anything else he could to plant himself back in that deep garden of thought. Sometimes, if he was lucky, remaining in the Subterraine managed to coax a last memory or two out of hiding, and Warrior was always nice enough to extend their patrol. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't seem to lose himself again.

Just as he moved to stand, the whole place brightened. Before his eyes the colors of the world around them blanched into varying shades of gold - the grey dirt became a gritty brown; the crystals growing like fungus on the bottom of each platform glittered a garish lemon; the stars darkened from white to a sweet honey; and the clear sky morphed from violet and black galaxies to the colors of yellow sand. The air itself thickened and shimmered, uncomfortably coating Cecil's throat and lungs with each pull of breath as if he were inhaling the color itself. It startled him for a moment, until he remembered the cause: Shinryu. Unapologetically gracing this world with his presence. Coming to retrieve and restore the fallen, then offer Cecil's friends back to him again and again like recycled presents.

Warrior sighed, a very uncharacteristic sound coming from him, but it about summed up everything Cecil felt. He glanced at him and had to squint from the tangible glow around the gold plating in his armor. Warrior's eyes remained wide and fixated on the sky with his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he couldn't decide between sadness or awe. The two of them shielded their eyes as sky emitted one last bright flash of gold, then it was gone, as suddenly as it came. Warrior was the first to break the thick silence.

"Come. Let us return to Cosmos. Our patrol is over . . . " Anticipation crept into his normally controlled tone. A new cycle was always met with anxiousness; were there any new warriors? Who survived Purification? Who hadn't? For the 'seasoned' ones, as they were called, it was as easy as looking around. Who was there before, that wasn't there now? Who had memories; who did not? And who were the new warriors, freshly plucked from their probably wonderful lives?

Cecil cared deeply for his companions' states at the turn of a cycle. Each time someone woke with no memories of themselves or their comrades, it wrenched his heart, and pity panged in his gut like a sword blow. He always did what he could to help those who had forgotten. Their apparent relief at the thought of a friend warmed him, and typically replaced the sadness with a feeling of obligation - that he had to help his comrades. That was usually enough to take his mind off of all he had remembered, all that he had left behind due to Cosmos' need of him.

* * *

It pained Warrior to see Cecil so troubled.

At first, the return of buried memories elated Cecil. He refused to stop talking about it. "I remember now!" he would cry, or, "Edge! Edge was that ninja's name!" "My brother, he helped us at the end of our battle." "Rosa, she was . . . my wife . . . I loved her very, very much . . . " The pleased knight's tones became more and more somber with each memory.

Then he hit a point where he stopped telling them completely.

He would be fine one moment, laughing with them, sharing moments and creating new memories with them, then his mood would shift rapidly. The bright eyes would glaze slightly, and the proud gait of a self-assured man would slump into the downcast trudge of an empty person. He would lose himself in bouts of reverie that left him oblivious to the world around him.

On more than one occasion he walked straight into a manikin ambush, and didn't hear his companions' shouts for him until he took a blow or two from the manikins. He was at it again. Warrior stared at him, hoping he would feel the eyes on him and break the spell, but . . . He walked with that same defeated amble, his blank stare fixated on the ground in front of him. His eyebrows furrowed, no doubt in recollection of something that troubled him.

"Sometimes," Warrior thought as he stared into Cecil's tormented eyes, "it is simply better to have forgotten."

* * *

 _"I'm a coward," he said to her. "A coward who cannot even defy orders he knows he ought not follow."_

 _He dare not look at Rosa. He dare not look into her face, not after what he just did to the people of Mysidia. He was ashamed. Disturbed. The guilt gnawed at his heart like a worm that wouldn't stop squirming. He stared out the window to the turrets and ramparts of the castle below._

 _"Cecil of the Red Wings is many things," she said, "but he is no coward. Not the Cecil who I love . . . "_

"Cecil!" Warrior's deep, deliberate voice broke through the fog of the fresh memory. He blinked and shook his head. The memory of her, his wife, his Rose, his everything, still swam before his eyes.

Rosa.

Just the mention of her name set his heart aflame with the passion they had once shared before Cosmos called him. Her beauty - unparalleled in Baron, in the entire Overworld. Unmatched by Aphrodite; Venus did not compare. Inanna, Freyja, all of them trumped by the love of his life.

"Cecil," repeated Warrior, once again cutting through his thoughts. "We are here."

He hadn't even realized they reached Sanctuary.

Cosmos sat at her usual position on the throne, but it was the woman beside her who garnered Cecil's attention. Tall warrior, golden-blonde hair. She had it loosely gathered to one side over her shoulder, and secured down its length with several pink bands. A two-layered cape covered her back: the bottom layer was floor-length, of sheer white cloth. Hemmed with roses in gold embroidery, while the top layer was waist-length, thick gold cloth, affixed by white spiked pauldrons. The remaining wisps of hair cascaded gently between the spikes as she brushed pieces behind her ear. From under the sheer cape Cecil saw a red skirt that was short on one side and longer on the other, short, heeled boots. A knife was strapped to her belt, a staff across her back, a quiver of arrows down near her hip, and a bow in her hands.

"A new warrior?" Cecil asked, still in a bit of a daze from thinking of Rosa. "Just one?"

Warrior frowned, understanding Cecil's implications. He tactfully ignored them. "Come, let us meet her," Warrior said confidently, striding forward with Cecil in tow. He stood before the goddess and dropped to a knee. "Cosmos." He bowed his head to her. "My lady," he added to the unknown soldier. He looked up into her face and faltered momentarily, then hastily stood.

Cecil stepped up to pay his respects when the woman spun, her green eyes locking directly with his blue.

His breath caught in his lungs. His jaw fell open as he choked on his polite introduction. His eyes captured every inch of her; lacy, thigh-high tights running up the smooth lines of her legs. The same white and gold knee guards that he remembered. Same leather belts that she used to wear - gold, brown, and maroon. The top edges of her hips were bared, and Cecil traced the tantalizing 'v' shape that the sheer white halter made as it connected to the very middle of her belt. The fabric pulled and creased, fitted against her slim figure. He zig-zagged his gaze along the green ties up the front. The brasier, solid gold with yellow lace over top and thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders.

No. No, it couldn't be.

Slender neck and sharp, contoured jawline. Thick lips, defined; her nose equally as slender and sharp, and her hair framed her face nicely. He staggered back several steps as his eyes reconnected with hers. Hooded, slightly downturned eyes filled with the most dazzling and familiar shade of green Cecil ever remembered seeing.

His lips mouthed her name but no sound escaped, and he melted beneath her powerfully beautiful features, just as the first time they saw each other, when she stole his affections.

"R-Rosa!"

* * *

 _ **Leave a review if you have time!**_


	4. Chapter 4

"Rosa!" The name tumbled from Cecil's mouth. He said it hundreds, if not thousands of times in Warrior's presence, but in Cecil's shock it sounded clumsy, unpracticed, even awkward off his tongue. So this was Rosa. Just as beautiful as Cecil described. Just as . . . womanly as he made her out to be. Elegance floated about every one of her lines, and Warrior was in awe. Her beautiful features were so stunningly eye-catching, he nearly abandoned decency and stared.

With effort he tugged his gaze from her and looked back to Cecil, roving his eyes back and forth between them so he didn't feel so inclined to stare. Poor woman, called to the cycles with no memories. Poor Cecil, missing his wife for so long and then seeing her here, like this. Cecil stood, frozen and dazed. His wide, but glazed over eyes stared at her in disbelief, his forehead and eyebrows creased, and his lips parted. And, Warrior noted, looking closer, his bottom lip quivered gently.

He looked horrified. He looked absolutely stricken.

"Cecil?" Warrior asked, edging closer to him. "Are you-"

"Rosa," he breathed. At the mention of her name Rosa's eyes narrowed. She gave Cecil a once-over, scrutinizing him from the beads in his white hair to the gold plates on his greaves. Too shocked to notice, Cecil's eyes never left her face. His fingers stretched out towards her. "I- I ne-" He shook his head. "I never, u-umm . . . " he uncharacteristically stuttered. One of Rosa's eyebrows lifted. "I never thought I'd see you again," finally crawled from his throat. Relief colored his flushed face. His shoulders relaxed, his face softened, and he smiled at her. "I'm so glad to see you!" He started towards her.

Her eyes widened and she stepped back. Forcing a loose chuckle, she smiled stiffly. "Yes, I am Rosa," she said quickly. She couldn't hide the caution tightening in her tone. "Who are you?" Rosa's eyes flicked towards Cosmos over and over, hoping to catch the goddess's eye. Cosmos missed Rosa's plea for help. She was looking at Cecil - an odd mix of interest and something else, something deep-rooted in her frown that Warrior couldn't place. On her own, Rosa faced him, crossing her arms.

"I'm-" Cecil paused, his smile faltering. "What?" he asked. "You know me."

"I can say with certainty that I do not."

He strode forward again. "Rosa . . . "

"That's close enough, sir!" she bellowed, backpedaling away from him. She grabbed her knife and slid the blade a few inches free of the scabbard on her belt. "Who are you? How do you know me?"

The moment the knife tore free, Cecil's heart shattered, an audible crack in his ears that radiated ice through his whole chest. He drew himself to full height but his shoulders slumped, hand raking slowly through his hair. "You don't know me," he whispered, dropping his gaze to the water. No, no! No, this was all wrong! He pictured their reunion over and over, a thousand times over in his head. Every scenario he could have possibly imagined was joyous, and every variation of joyous. Not this. This wasn't right, some perversion of reality. But, like watching something horrific, he couldn't bring himself to look away. His wife, his beautiful wife. Cycle after cycle after cycle without her, and her without him in Baron. And she was playing at unfamiliarity? She was tormenting him like this, tossing his heart around like a ragdoll?

Of course not. She would never do that to him. She was not that kind of woman, too kind-hearted to intentionally hurt someone this way. Especially him. No! She had to remember. A violent sort of desperation burst through the numbness in his heart, and he tried again. His blue eyes bore pleadingly into her green. "Do you jest? Rosa, you must remember! You - I kn- I know you!-" Without realizing what he did, Cecil took a few steps towards her.

Rosa grew frustrated before him. She bared her teeth with a small growl, her eyes flared in anger, and the knife _snicked_ the rest of the way free. "Stop saying that! Please understand that I do. not. know. you," she insisted, practically snarling the word.

"Rosa . . . " Cosmos began, nodding at the knife. Rosa noted Cosmos with a sidelong glance but did not move.

"Why are you saying this?"

"You try my patience, _Cecil_!" She said his name like it was a curse off her tongue.

He couldn't comprehend what was happening. He couldn't . . . couldn't think. What was going on- Cosmos. Cosmos would know. "What is this?" he asked, turning to her. Cosmos only smiled, with a sickly-sweet and pathetic sadness. She could only have been searching for pity, and any other time Cecil may have indulged her. But her eyes betrayed her. The emotion in her smile didn't reach her fleeting gaze. They were hard, insincere - she knew something, anything. "Speak!" he yelled at her. "What is this?" Cosmos' face faltered. A pained look crossed her face, and she gathered the shawl around her.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Realization flushed his face again. A cold chill wracked his spine as his throat seized with understanding.

She didn't remember because she was here.

She was here because Cosmos had called her.

" _Sh-she is my wife_!" he thought, " _Why did she have to be called_?!"

He may have missed her, missed her so deeply that his heart hurt with longing when he thought of her shining face he was never to see, missed her so desperately that he could barely focus in battle at the mere mention of her name. He may have missed her, but her being here was the last thing he wanted. He would never wish the twisted, methodical logic of this repetitive world upon any other.

Especially Rosa.

Never Rosa.

Cecil's dread of her calling turned to instant fury. His hands clenched at his sides. "Why?" he screamed at Cosmos bitterly. "Why her?!"

Of all the worlds she had to choose from, Cosmos had chosen his. Of all the heroes scattered across their many realms, she chose Rosa. She chose the woman he cared for more than anyone in the worlds to fight in the cycles.

His spear solidified in his grip. Rosa brandished her knife, but Cecil shoved past Warrior and pointed it directly at Cosmos' throat.

"Why?!" he yelled again. Her gaze dropped to her clasped hands in her lap.

"I never meant to hurt you . . . " she said in her voice of silk. He pressed the tip to her skin.

"WHY?! Answer me!" Louder that time.

"Lower your weapon!" Warrior yelled, but Cosmos cut him off with a hand. She raised her chin at the touch of cool metal and stared into his eyes, the sky blue of hers fighting and swirling with the royal blue of his.

"Because I needed her. That is all. I am sorry."

Cecil pulled back to strike the goddess.


	5. Chapter 5

"My lord, Chaos," Garland said softly, falling to one knee.

Ugh. The way he said that made the Emperor's skin crawl. He said it like a loving parent to a child. To the Emperor, it came as a disgust and a shock - he long thought Garland incapable of such emotions.

Either way, the Emperor swallowed down his nausea and begrudgingly knelt with the rest of them. He had appearances to uphold, after all. Casting discreet, side-long glances all around him, he checked the others' faces as they each mimicked Garland. Though, he wouldn't have said they showed respect, or even deference. Hardly any of them lowered their eyes. He certainly did not.

How pathetic. And mildly amusing, he thought, but he suppressed the grin, lest he draw attention to himself. The only one kneeling in true servitude of their 'master' was Garland. He clung to the monster's every word as though his very being depended upon Chaos' advice. The rest knelt in sheer terror. Especially Golbez. That sorry excuse for a vessel of discord was probably quaking in his armor. Even Kefka, who had a comment for everything, remained silent in Chaos' presence.

"I have gathered the others as you commanded. You wished to speak with us?"

Chaos didn't immediately answer, slouched sideways in his throne. One set of his arms, the top set, rested heavily on the arm rests. Right fist jammed into his cheek to support his head, pulling his lip up into a sneer. His left hand draped daintily over the front edge, while his lower set of arms loosely crossed over his stomach. Displaying a hilarious combination of 'bored out of his mind' and 'mildly interested'.

The uncomfortable silence seemed to thicken with each second they waited, clouding in the air like humidity. "Chaos?" Garland asked.

A distant grunt and a dismissive wave of one of his hands, and they all rose.

"A new cycle dawns in this world," Chaos rumbled. "The heroes of Harmony scrabble for a foothold in this conflict, still under the impression that they can, somehow, win these battles. Cosmos is weak, she is desperate, and she is acting foolishly. Just today, in fact," he said, moving his arms. He clasped the upper set over his mouth and leaned forward, as though sharing some dark secret. "She expended almost all of her energy in the summoning of a warrior. Just one."

Chaos' lips curled away from his teeth in a grotesque version of a smile. As though Cosmos' weakness was some running joke. In his silence, the Emperor checked his periphery again. Garland's eyes were fixed on Chaos, the Cloud of Darkness looked as disinterested as he felt, slowly stroking her snakes. Golbez's shoulders were tense - they weren't normally so close to his helmet. Exdeath, who knew what Exdeath was thinking? Kefka looked like he was bursting to say something, _anything_ , and was practically quivering trying to hold it in, while Sephiroth kept his thoughts perfectly concealed, unreadable as per usual. Ultimecia had a playful glint to her eyes, obviously calculating for some plan of hers, while Kuja checked his nails and Jecht idly fiddled with the straps hanging from his uniform. They couldn't have cared less.

"We are on the brink of absolute victory. You know what I ask of you: extinguish the light. Only then can you claim this world to discord."

The Emperor very nearly snorted in disgust. He managed to choke it down to a mild huff. 'Extinguish the light?' Well of course they wanted to 'extinguish the light!' That was his purpose for calling them to the War of the Gods in the first place! How ridiculous. Chaos brought them there for that speech? He hadn't even called new warriors! And as if the ones already present hadn't heard it enough! A waste of his valuable time. He had plans. Plans he was eager to set into motion. He'd been saving his strength, waiting for the right moment. Once Cosmos and her ants were crushed, and Chaos sat goading in his throne, he would be strong enough to strike. Strong enough to challenge the god. Then he alone would lord over this world and this cycle, and all would be his to command.

Hmph. Such a pitiful god. Chaos barely peeled himself from that seat; why were his warriors so afraid? " _They should be more afraid of me, when I am Master of this world_." The Emperor's thoughts steeled him, and he spoke out against the god.

"Truly, Chaos? We must extinguish the light?" he said, dripping the sarcasm from his voice. "I believed our goal to be more amiable than that!" A soft growl grumbled in Chaos' throat, and he slowly slid back to his slouched position. Next to the throne, Garland shifted nervously, but the Emperor barely noticed his bristle. He let his annoyance drive his voice as he turned to go. "I've yet to hear one worthwhile bit of information from you, and I severely doubt one is coming. If you are finished wasting my time-"

Chaos raised a hand.

An electric shock jolted right through the center of the Emperor's mind and spread furiously through his body in an instant. His limbs went dead, his sight went black, no sound reached his ears, nothing reached him except for the screaming of the individual fibers of his nerve endings. He tensed from the mental attack, collapsing to one knee, and sucked in painful breaths as his sight re-colored. The deafening sound that returned was filled with the chuckles and snickers of the others.

Chaos heaved himself to his feet and lifted a new hand, then swept it to the side. The Emperor was pulled up from the ground and thrown flat against the hexagonal wall of the realm. His diaphragm collapsed, his breath rushed out of him, and with an ear-piercing clang, his staff fell to the grey slate. Chaos kept his hand raised, suspending the Emperor. He stomped over to him, bent down, and peered face-to-face with him.

"Do you take me for a fool?! Do you think I am not aware of why you're so desperate to leave? Had you thought me oblivious to your schemes to overthrow me?! No, I knew of your plans, for several cycles now! I am a _god_ , you obnoxious _mortal_! Challenge me as you see fit! Fight me to your heart's content!" His hot, rancid breath hissed in the Emperor's face as he leaned closer, his fangs inches from the Emperor's nose. "In the end . . . " Chaos clenched his fist. An electric charge rocketed through the Emperor. His muscles clenched uncontrollably, he struggled and jerked in his frozen prison, unable to move as the shocks tore through him.

Finally, Chaos released him. He plummeted to the floor and landed on a knee before him.

" . . . you will always lose."

He spun around to face the others, his voice booming.

"You _will_ do as I command without question! Or the consequences will be . . . " He turned back to the Emperor as he fought to catch his breath, " . . . severe. Let this be a lesson to all of you."

He peered into the face of the Emperor.

The Emperor stared back in defiance.

"Is that clear?"

" . . . P-perfectly, Chaos," the Emperor choked, still fighting for air. He picked up his staff, dropping his gaze to the floor. Chaos' hand shot out and gripped his chin, forcing him to look into the face of the wretched creature.

" _Lord_ Chaos," the god sneered.

"Lord Chaos."

Satisfied, Chaos backed away from the Emperor. "Begone, mortals. Haven't you tasks to complete?" He lowered his massive frame into the chair.

The Emperor stood and dusted himself off, feeling the heat of humiliation rise in his cheeks. It was quiet, dead quiet, and he could feel everyone's eyes on his back. He refused to move. He didn't want them to see his face. And yet, he felt obligated to walk away with every shred of his pride he could find. As soon as he felt ready, he turned around. And met a gloved finger in his face.

The clown attached to the finger let loose the earsplitting fit of cackles he'd been restraining during the whole meeting. "WAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Emperor fought another wave of mortification but it won, coloring his cheeks again. Slapping Kefka's hand away, he pushed past him, and forced his way through the other warriors, and their laughs. Ultimecia's tinkling chuckle was the worst to him. The most assaulting to his ears and the most stirring of his embarrassment. Out of all of them, he hated looking weak in from of her most. He hated looking weak in front the only other strong warrior who could potentially contend with him. He didn't want her to think she was at all above him.

The Emperor reached the back of the group only to have his path to the exit blocked by Golbez. He strode up to the huge man expecting him to move, but Golbez merely crossed his arms in front of him, shoulders heaving with repressed laughter. The Emperor maneuvered around him. As soon as he passed, Golbez teleported away and vanished.

" _Let them laugh_ ," he thought bitterly, " _When I rule this world, and all their pitiful lives, there will be no place for their laughter_!"

Let his plans begin.

* * *

 _ **I got a CuriousCat! Ask me anything about A Petal Among Thorns!**_

 _ **curiouscat . me / Keyblader41996**_

 _ **~Keyblader**_


	6. Chapter 6

"Because I needed her. That is all. I'm sorry."

Sorry. The word echoed hollowly inside Cecil's ears. Sorry. _Sorry_.

No. Cosmos wasn't 'sorry.' She would rather fulfill the selfish desires of this conflict than consider any of her warriors. She wasn't sorry for destroying any chance Rosa would ever have at any sort of life outside of the cycle. She wasn't sorry for calling her here, only to have her die again and again. And now his Rose could never leave.

And what about him? If she died here, _his_ only hope for a life outside of this world died with her. Even if he managed to go home, without Rosa he had nothing to return to. Sure, Cosmos apologized, but Cecil saw no remorse there in her eyes. A blind rage he never felt before bubbled inside of his heart. His fist clenched around his spear, so hard that his skin chafed on the metal. A breath hitched in his chest, and his jaw clenched so forcefully, his teeth ached.

The nature of this conflict dictated ruthlessness. He just never imagined it would be directed at the two of them.

Without thinking, Cecil hefted his spear back. He watched Cosmos' eyes widen, almost in slow motion. Her mouth dropped open for a heavy gasp, and the sound charged Cecil's fury with electricity. Her back straightened, she shielded her face, and leaned as far away from him as possible.

His spear never got anywhere close to her before a flash of gold slashed across his vision, and a stabbing pain shot through his whole hand. He cried out in surprise, dropping his spear where it was.

Cecil turned away from Cosmos, cradling his hand against the residual flares of pain. Sticking straight out of his hand was a gold-tipped arrow, with a silver shaft and gold fletchings. His blood welled around the arrow shaft and spilled out the side and down his fingertips, and he stared at the droplets in shock as they stained the perfect water pink for a moment before dispersing back to the clear crystal pool.

At the creak of Rosa's bow, he turned back around. The string gently pulled her cheek as she lined up her next shot.

"Don't move," she warned him, speaking out of the corner of her mouth, "or this next arrow goes between your eyes."

"Rosa, no," Cosmos said calmly. Rosa ignored her.

"You, warrior," Rosa said, addressing his rank without realizing it was his name, "get his weapon."

Cecil's eyes flicked to his spear, in the water where he dropped it. But he had no intention of going for it again. He took a step away from it, but Warrior still ran forward and kicked it away, out of his reach.

"Cosmos, how could you?" he asked her. "She is my wife! How could you do this to her? To me?" He winced as his hand clenched accidentally.

"You take this as a personal attack against you." Cosmos' voice cut through the tension in the air like a silky knife. "That is not the case. I am tasked with protecting the balance of this world that Chaos tries so desperately to destroy. I cannot accomplish this alone, and neither can he. I only call the people whom I believe to be strong enough, and best-suited to help me combat Chaos and his chosen, and end his schemes."

"But this is a _cycle_!" Cecil hissed, lowering his voice so Rosa wouldn't hear. He wanted to protect her from that information, at least for now. She was a new warrior, and if she had any hopes of returning home, he wanted her to be able to hold on to that. He stepped closer to the goddess, hating the fact that he was so obviously hiding a secret. "Once we are called, we can _never_ leave! Don't you understand? You called her from our world to help you, but you pulled _her_ from her life in Baron!"

Cosmos sighed and closed her eyes. "I know, I . . . I am sorry. I understand your frustration, but I only did what I knew was best for the future safety of this world."

Cecil dropped his gaze, "I- I understand, but . . . " But he hated every second of it, with every fiber of his being. The bitterness hurt his heart, weighing it down inside of him. And he acted like a child, which was inappropriate, too. "Forgive my outburst," he muttered pathetically.

Cosmos held her hand out to Warrior, and he offered his arm to her. She linked hers in his and he practically hoisted her to her feet. As soon as she was upright she leaned heavily into him. Cecil hurried forward to offer his help as well, but she shook her head.

"Are you weak?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Summoning warriors takes more out of me than it used to. My strength will return in time." Warrior helped her over to Cecil and she gingerly took his injured hand, closing her eyes.

"I- . . . Should you be healing me?-" The arrow gleamed, then dissolved into a wisp of gold. The hole in his hand gently tingled, then closed smoothly, with no evidence of any injury.

"Of course. And do not apologize. There is nothing to forgive. You were upset."

"I'm . . . not entirely sure of what you're all talking about!" Rosa yelled.

She relaxed her bow, twirling the arrow around her fingers before returning it to the quiver near her hip. She rested the tip in the still water, sending hundreds of ripples through Sanctuary, and for the first time, Cecil noticed the designs on it, much more extravagant and beautiful than anything she ever had on their adventures back in Baron. There looked to be four limbs on it, not just two. An inner, smaller set with its own recurve shape that attached to the outer, longer set and pulled away at the grip, and the outer, longer set with the elegant arch of a longbow. He traced the shape of the outer set with his eyes. The grip was a thick, spiral-bound brown leather, and the limbs were fashioned to two spikes around it. Gold illuminations and swirls adorned the lengths of them, with painted images of flower petals and other accents so intricate he couldn't even see them. The inside set, he realized, were for the string and the arrow shelf. The inside limbs even had designs of their own, but the show piece was a wooden vine of red, thorny roses woven around it.

"Tell me what's going on, now!" she said to Cosmos. "I don't know where I am! I don't know who you are, or who _you_ are!" she said, flicking her hand wildly between Cecil and Warrior. "I awoke here with no memories - nothing! Except for my name. Before you two showed up, she was trying to tell me I've been called to some kind of war of the gods-"

"That is true," Warrior told her. "You speak to Cosmos, the goddess of Harmony. She called you here, to fight for the Light against the darkness."

"What manner of realm is this? This is not my home."

"Do you remember your home?" Cecil asked before he could stop himself. She paused, her eyes seemed to gloss over for just a moment before her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"N-no. I can't. Why can't I remember?" Her voiced gradually grew higher and higher. Her green eyes were wide with fear and desperation, a look Cecil had only ever seen on her face once before, when Golbez took her captive in the crystal room of Fabul castle. He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he knew he couldn't. Not right now, when she was still trying to orient herself in this world.

Not when she didn't even know him.

A burst of sadness threatened to overtake him once more, but he quickly banished the feeling.

"This is not your home," Cosmos told her. "This is not, what is it, Baron?" she asked Cecil. He nodded quickly, hoping the name would help her somehow.

"Baron," he confirmed for her, staring at Rosa. She simply stared skeptically at him until Cosmos spoke again.

"This is not Baron. This war is fought in a collection of worlds, existing in a realm separate from the one you knew," Cosmos said. "Please, I know you're alarmed and scared. All of your questions shall be answered. What do you want to know?"

"So I hail from Baron. My name is Rosa Joanna Farrell, and I hail from the Kingdom of Baron."

Cecil nodded. "Your job class and rank?"

"I . . . White Mage, I think," she said, gesturing to the staff on her back. She grabbed the pink ribbon trailing from the bottom of it and fiddled idly with it. "And archery. I'm an archer as well."

"And a good one," Cecil said, rubbing the spot where her arrow went through his hand.

"And now I'm supposed to fight for Harmony in a war. Who are we fighting?"

"Chaos, the god of Discord," Warrior said. There was a palpable bite to the way he said Chaos' name. "He means to destroy this world and sink it forever into Discord, along with everyone in it. That is why Cosmos called us," he said, leading Cosmos back to her throne. "We are to fight him and his chosen, defeat them, and claim this world for the Light."

"Uh-huh," she grumbled. "Who are you?"

"I have no name. Those of Cosmos' ranks call me the Warrior of Light, by my class."

"So you don't remember either?" she said quickly. Cecil could tell she was searching for validation.

"No, I never had a name."

"Oh," she said, obviously disappointed. "Who is he?" she said, pointing to Cecil.

She didn't even look at him. He hoped the signs of his hurt didn't show on his face. "Please, Rosa, try to remember," he said, stepping towards her. This time, she let him approach but he still remembered to leave a safe distance between them. "I am Cecil Harvey. Former Captain of the Red Wings of Baron, now crowned King of Baron."

"Baron. That's how you know me."

"Yes," he nodded. "You and I are from the same world. _We're married,_ " he intoned silently. By withholding it, he felt like he was cheating her out of something important, but that bit of information would be too much for her to take in, at least right now. He held his tongue.

"Cecil Harvey," she whispered, finally looking him in the eyes. He smiled stiffly, caught somewhere between showing welcome and ensuring he did not ward her off.

"Class and rank?" she asked, mirroring his questions from before.

"Paladin Knight, and Dark Knight. I switch freely between the two in this world, but when we were together in Baron I was only a Paladin Knight."

She didn't answer, just looked at him. Piercing green eyes stared hard into soft royal blue for a long while. He felt like she was searching for something, anything. He hoped she was trying to recall anything about him. She looked down, staring down the length of her bow rather than at him. Her eyes softened, her stern face relaxed, and for a moment he thought maybe something came to her. Her eyes glossed over once again.

"Anything?"

Her eyes snapped back up. "No. I can recall nothing! This is so frustrating!"

"Please don't worry," Cosmos assured her. "Your memories will return in full. Through battle, and through existing in this realm. Each of you directly faces someone in Chaos' forces, and I selected you and your fellow warriors as a result. You and only you can match and defeat your chosen rival. Do battle with that rival, and many of your memories will return. Though, this should come as good news. The one whom you seek is an ally and spy for us. The Black Mage, Golbez. Seek him out, spar with him, and you may learn much about your past."

"I don't know how you can trust him," Warrior said. "He has betrayed us before."

"Only after Purification. He's had a change of heart every time," Cecil reminded him. "Don't forget he's my brother."

"I haven't," Warrior assured him coldly. "He longs for the light but I sense none inside of him. He will have to plenarily prove himself to completely gain my trust."

"He's more than proven himself," Cecil said. "Rosa, Golbez is a friend you can trust. Just be careful that he isn't around any of Chaos' warriors. He has appearances to uphold. While he won't necessarily harm you, he will not act as a friend around them."

"Golbez . . . okay," she said. "He wears . . . armor, right? Black armor?"

"Yes! He's-"

"Hellooooooo!" someone yelled out from behind them. A crowd of footsteps followed the voice that interrupted. Cosmos leaned around Cecil and smiled to everyone that entered.

"Hello, Zidane," Warrior said. "You brought other warriors with you."

Cecil turned, watching as Zidane led Bartz, Firion, and the Onion Knight, followed by Yuna, Tifa, and Squall.

"Wooow! Okay! So this is Sanctuary!" Bartz said, looking around in awe at the bright place, taking in every detail. "And I guess you're Cosmos!" Clearly, Bartz had received Purification. Cecil swallowed down the melancholy that sprang in his heart as she addressed the crowd.

"This is obviously not all of you," she said brightly, scanning the seven. "Where are the others?"

Zidane scratched his behind, just left of where his tail poked through his pants. "Eh, I don't know. All these guys I ran into on my way here." He winked at the goddess. "Of course, I only came here just to see your pretty face."

Cosmos turned to Warrior, rejecting his moves completely. "Have you any quarrels with venturing out and gathering all the others? I am too weak to call them right now, but I wish to speak to all of them. Seeing as how some introductions, and therefore instructions, are in order, I must address everyone."

Warrior placed a hand over his heart and bowed lightly to the goddess. "Of course. I will be back shortly."

Zidane noticed Rosa standing off to the side and smiled widely at her. "And hello to you too! What's your name?"

"Rosa."

"Oh! Rosa!" Zidane said, glancing happily at Cecil. Just in case he let something slip, Cecil shook his head as subtly as possible. Zidane's eyes flared, the only visible sign that he understood. But his goofy, lop-sided smile never wavered, to Cecil's relief. "I'm Zidane Tribal. Wow. You're gorgeous!" Zidane managed to eek a small smile from her, and Cecil appreciated it. Zidane's personality had such a disarming, undemanding, and straightforward quality to it that won him many friends.

"Thank you," Rosa said, nodding her ascent. She said with a light chuckle, "I would take it to heart but it seems to me like you say it a lot."

Bartz burst into laughter. "Haha! Wow! She's already got you figured out, Zidane!"

"How would you know? You technically just met me! I like you, Rosa. Welcome to Cosmos' side! So, you've met my friend Cecil, right?"

" _Mental note - thank Zidane later_ ," he said to himself. "Ah, actually, it was a little . . . I'd like to apologize for my behavior when we first met. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. Properly." He stood up straight and proper, years of training all coming together for this moment. He slowly walked towards her, chin up, eyes level but soft, as soft as he could make them. Doing his best to smile, when he was a step away from her he bowed low. "Cecil Harvey, at your service." He straightened up and offered his hand, and when she took it he pressed a soft kiss to her knuckle.

"Rosa Joanna Farrell."

" _She'll remember . . ._ " he assured himself. " _Eventually . . ._ "


	7. Chapter 7

"Cecil Harvey, at your service," he said, kissing her knuckle like a gentleman. With the smoothness and fluidity that came with formal training. It certainly validated his claim to high society. He carried himself like a King, Rosa observed. Elegance and natural grace floated about every one of his lines, amplified by his perfect posture. Back ram-rod straight, chin up and shoulders back.

His lavender armor added another layer of awe and majesty to him. The deep purple patterns, the jagged pauldrons, and the sharp-edged greaves mixed brilliantly with the swirls and free-flowing patterns of the light purple, the cloth draped over his hip, and the gold accents. It all gave him a sort of effeminate beauty that reminded Rosa of a star-lit luminescence. Every one of Cecil's weapons - his spear, the knife on his hip, and even the sword on his back - were polished to a near perfect shine, showing his care for them. Sharp. Pristine.

He carried himself tall and his very air exuded authority, but from his sweet smile and honest, innocent looking eyes, it was an inviting and approachable authority. A gentle modesty that wasn't at all condescending or arrogant. He had thick silver hair that framed his face, strung with lavender and deep purple beads. And a purple and gold headband that exaggerated the sharpness of his features: pointed nose and chin, slender jawline, wide-set eyes and delicate eyebrows. Thick lips, tinted purple. Balanced blue aura circling him.

His whole look, pulled together with the paleness of his complexion, gave him an other-worldly quality that Rosa couldn't place.

Only when Cecil gave her hand a soft squeeze did she realize she was staring. She quickly pulled her hand from his, blinking her way back to Order's Sanctuary and everyone else in the area. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she offered. A token response. She prayed he didn't take it to be any more than that. And to her relief he simply nodded. The gesture seemed to hang thick in the air. Staring into his eyes felt awkward to her after staring so obviously for so long. Instead, she directed her gaze down, pretending that the ribbon on the end of her staff needed re-tied. She stepped back to slide it over her right shoulder. Nobody was talking. Everybody was watching her. It felt like it, at least. A tingling prickled in her face, where they were looking. She chanced a glance up through her lashes to check. Nope. Just Cecil. Staring.

The silence still felt like it was kind of directed at her. Choking her. She opened her mouth to ask him something, anything, the first thing that came to her mind. Cecil beat her to it.

"That's a beautiful staff."

"Thank you," she said, presenting it out in front of her. She gently rested the top in the water to finish tying the knot in the ribbon. Once she was finished, she twirled it around and tapped the bottom into the water to show him the top.

"A Crystal," he said. "Fitting."

Fitting? "How so?"

"The Overworld - our Homeworld, is powered by the four elemental Crystals. It's reminiscent of our origin." The way he roped her in still made her mildly uncomfortable. She didn't like that he knew more about her than she knew about herself. She hoped he didn't notice her unintentional grimace.

"I didn't arrive here with this," Rosa quickly told him, so he didn't get any ideas. "It was at my side when I awoke."

"That was my doing," Cosmos said. "When I called you here, I had the Moogle Cid craft you new weapons."

Ah. The pure white crystal at the top of her staff was about the size of a fist, set against a gold rim. a pair of crafted roses rested against the bottom, with thin, gold ropes spiraling down and around the shaft on either side. A few times they curled around each other, setting a few other gems between them. About halfway down, the gold ropes faded to green, and turned into a stem. And small roses circled around the top of her ribbon.

"May I see your knife as well?" Cecil asked. Rosa pulled the whole hilt from her belt and tossed it to him. He turned it all around, admiring the intricacies and the colors of the jewels. He slipped the blade from the hilt and checked it. "Very wide crosspiece. Beautiful cut to the blade. Nice shine. You haven't used it yet?"

"No. I just got here!" she said, holding her hand out to take it back.

"Oh. Oh, right," he chuckled. "It's beautiful," he said, handing it over.

"Thank you." She slid her staff back over her shoulder and replaced her knife to her belt. She looked up and made direct eye contact with Cecil, who was staring once again. Though, whether it was at her or through her, she couldn't tell. His eyes had a kind of distant look to them. She looked away. Nodded slowly, unsure of what else to do.

"Do . . . " she began, trying to come up with a question, "Do you know everyone here?"

"Yes. I've been here a while, and you were the only new warrior summoned."

"Ah. How long will this- How long have you been here?" She let her real question slip. How long would this 'defeat Chaos' mess take? Cecil's face fell for a moment, but he still answered her question.

"I've been here for . . . " He paused and tried to think through it. Finally, he settled on, "A while. I can't even remember."

For that long? So long he didn't even remember? Rosa wanted to end the conversation. So many things just didn't seem to sit right with her. So she left it at his answer. She turned and decided to talk to some of the others while waiting for Warrior to return with the rest. Who was that brown-haired man? The one who walked in with Zidane.

Cecil beat her to that, too. "Well!" he said cheerily, "I'm going to . . . talk to some of our friends."

Despite their horrible introduction, Rosa admit she still followed Cecil around. Even as he gravitated to each of the warriors to chat superficially. Even though he still made her a little . . . she didn't have anyone else to talk to. He knew her world, he knew her, and he seemed to know a lot about this world and this conflict. And, despite the sometimes awkward turns of their conversations, she felt like she could talk to him. He was approachable.

He introduced her first to Tifa, who she really liked, and Squall. Tifa was confident, cheery, easy to talk to as well. She asked Rosa a few questions about her and about their world, but when Rosa couldn't answer she didn't pry. Rosa was more grateful for that than she realized. She didn't like feeling stupid, standing next to Cecil who knew everything, and she didn't like not knowing so much about herself. She didn't like not knowing things in general. Squall simply stood and listened intently to their conversation, occasionally nodding his ascent or frowning his disagreement.

The Onion Knight vaguely irritated Rosa. He seemed overly confrontational. Arrogant, and quick to defend himself even when no one was attacking him. Always boasting his skills when they never came into question. Yuna, who he was standing with, was sweet. A kind-hearted summoner, always willing to put others before herself. When asked about her Eidolons she commanded Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut, and a few others Rosa had never heard of before. Still, though, the thought of those few seemed familiar to her. In her mind she could see a face. A blurry face. Against a green background. Why did she associate the face with green?

"Did . . . Did I know a summoner?"

"Yes!" he said, nodding enthusiastically. "We both knew her."

"She was . . . green. Or, something about her was green. I can't remember what she looked like, but I associate her with the color green."

"It was her hair. Her hair was green." Rosa framed the picture in her mind with curly, green hair, but it didn't make the picture of her face any clearer. It frustrated her, and she sighed exasperatedly before casting the image away.

Yuna smiled at her, gently reaching out for her arm. "Do you remember anything?" When Rosa told her no, she gazed sympathetically with her two colored eyes. "Don't worry. I know it's frustrating. But you'll remember everything soon, I'm sure of it!" Extremely positive.

"Thank you," Rosa said, smiling back.

Firion took her hand and kissed it upon their meeting. He had every kind of weapon strapped somewhere on his body. And, according to Cecil, he knew how to use them. He was tall, he was obviously strong. He complimented the roses all over her weapons. And he asked to see her staff and bow, gently tracing the carved thorns as though in awe.

"You favor roses?" she asked. She had to. He was glancing far too intently at them.

"I do," he said. "They're my favorite flower. And they're part of my dream- my goal," he quickly remedied.

"Your dream?"

His face grew red. He blushed and looked down, handing her staff back to her. "I'll tell you about it some time later. Thanks for introducing us, Cecil."

"You're not embarrassed of it, are you?" Rosa asked. A feeling of pity spread through her heart. "You shouldn't be embarrassed, whatever it is."

"I know. But still. I'll tell you later."

As they walked away, Cecil leaned down and whispered to her, "He's sheepish about it because he's afraid it's too childish of a dream to have. He is proud of it, but afraid of the judgment in its wake."

"But what is it?"

"It's a dream to create a world of wild roses. A world of peace where flowers can grow."

"It's beautiful."

"Yes. And roses are his favorite. He'll definitely take to you. Come on, I think you already met Zidane and Bartz, but Vaan has yet to meet you." He led her over to their group, and Zidane immediately interrupted whatever he was saying.

"Heyyyyy," he purred, running a hand through his hair. "What's up, Rosa?"

He was trying so hard. It made Rosa smile. "Hello."

"Vaan, have you met Rosa?"

"Oh! No, not yet," he said. "Hiya! I'm Vaan." He was tall and lanky, like he didn't quite know what to do to handle himself. He had sandy blonde hair and a tan skin tone, obviously spending a lot of time in the sun. His vest barely covered his chest, but his waist-high pants and metal boots hastily covered the rest of him. It was an odd juxtaposition. He looked young. No older than 18.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rosa."

"Rosa, huh? Makes sense, I guess, with all the roses on your weapons."

"I thought it was because you're beautiful, but feisty like a rose," Zidane tried. Bartz scoffed.

"Wow. Don't listen to him, Rosa. He's a hopeless romantic."

"You talk about it like it's a flaw!" he argued. He let out an exaggerated sigh. "You see what I have to deal with?" Rosa kept seeing the flash of tan-ish brown behind Zidane - his tail. It flicked back and forth vigorously, seeming to match his excitement and pattern of speech. The movement kept drawing her eye, to the point where she couldn't decide what to focus on, his eyes or his tail. Was it even real? It looked like it was real, but she was skeptical to believe it.

"So, Bartz," she questioned, changing the subject to keep attention away from her staring. "You don't remember anything, either?"

"Uuuh," he said. He crossed his arms, glancing up into the air to think through it. "Nnnnope. I don't think so. I'm in the same boat as you. Freshly called here, don't remember anything."

"You're a new warrior? Cecil told me I was the only new one-"

"I must have made a mistake," he interrupted. "Sorry, Bartz, I forgot about you. Please accept my apology."

He laughed, waving his hands. "It's fine! Don't worry about it!"

"It's cool, Cecil. I know I forget about Bartz all the time," Vaan joked.

"Ouch. Get outta here, Vaan!" he said, pushing him lightly.

They continued their banter, so Rosa took it as the opportunity to leave. She walked back towards Cosmos, and Cecil followed a close distance behind her.

"So this place acts as our base?" Rosa asked him.

"Yes. This is Cosmos' throne. Her strength replenishes here."

"Are you our leader or something?"

"No. Warrior is - well, I try to help as much as possible. I feel confident in my knowledge and skills, and my ability to judge a situation. If I had to make a decision, I feel I could do so. Warrior's our leader in name and in practice."

"Question: is Zidane wearing a tail?" she asked, pointing back to Zidane.

"Oh, he's not 'wearing' it. It's real - don't pull on it," he said. "Another warrior found out the hard way once."

"Hey! There he is!" Vaan said, pointing to where Warrior entered Sanctuary. He led a crowd of people behind him. It was almost comical. They looked like the most informal, patched-together group of people someone could stumble upon. Some were in full armor, some were dressed down. Some were tall, some were short. Most were men, Rosa observed. There was one girl, no, two. What was shocking about one of them towards the front was that she had pink hair. Speaking of hair, one of them had blonde hair that stuck straight up in gravity-defying spikes. As they drew closer he happened to raise his eyes, and Rosa met with the most striking blue eyes she'd ever seen in her life.

"Kain!" Cecil yelled next to her.

Rosa saw a purple dragon head perk up in the crowd, mostly because it belonged to the tallest warrior in the crowd. She tried to look collected, but despite herself, her curiosity got the better of her. She leaned this way and that to try and get a better view of the rest of the man under the dragon, but he was impossible to see through the crowd. Luckily for her, he pushed his way to the front, bolting ahead of the rest of them to catch up with Cecil.

Boy, was he _tall_. He towered a full head over her, and a bit over Cecil, inclining his head down to look at everyone properly. The dragon head was actually his helmet. The nose of the beast rested just above his nose, so when he was looked at full-on it looked like his opponent was facing down a real dragon. Complete with glowing red eyes and everything. The curvature of his helmet arched down his cheeks, ending below his eyes, making his sharp nose and frowning lips the only visible part of his face.

The rest of his armor was purple and scaly as well, with spikes, fins, and even purple claws on his nails.

He made her wary. He made her wary, and she didn't know why. What did his eyes look like? Did he hide his face on purpose? He instantly presented himself like an enigma without even trying. And she wanted to solve him. If only to appease her inexplicable fear. And plus, he was so tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and well-defined muscles, that she instantly felt belittled.

Did his personality match?

"Kain, I want you to meet someone," Cecil said, gesturing to Rosa.

His face turned towards her. He walked up to her, bearing down on her with those imposing shoulders. Leaning down slightly, unconsciously, boxing her in. And before she could help herself she made herself smaller, cursing the fact that she didn't even know him but he still made her feel small.

His lips parted when he stopped in front of her as if in shock, then abruptly snapped shut.

" _Does he know me as well_?" she thought, as Cecil cleared his throat.

"Rosa, this is Kain Highwind, my lifelong friend. Commander of the Dragoons of Baron, and my right hand. Kain, this . . . is Rosa."

Kain Highwind. Even his name sounded . . . something about him unsettled her. She couldn't place it. He bothered her.

Kain knelt, reached out, and took her hand. He raised it to his lips. "My lady," he said.

Then he kissed her hand.

She gasped. Like a spark, a flicker of a memory flashed before her eyes.

 _Her shoulders ached. Her back ached. Everywhere she moved she lay uncomfortable on her arm. The ropes were starting to chafe, wrists stinging every time she even tensed them. How long had she been laying there in the dark? She shivered; the cold rising off the metal had seeped into her bones and blood and skin. Metal, metal everywhere. Had she been asleep? Or just lost track of time? She had no idea. All she knew was that this time Kain and another figure stood before her. A huge man in black armor._

 _Her heart dropped into her stomach with dread. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked. Her voice came out in a whisper._

 _Kain turned towards her. His lips stretched over his teeth. And he smiled at her._

She ripped her hand from Kain's and stepped back, a small cry escaping her lips. Cecil gripped her arm.

"A memory?" he asked excitedly.

She nodded, just as Cosmos addressed the crowd. "My warriors."


	8. Chapter 8

Zidane inched closer and closer to Cecil, hoping he would see him before he had to say anything. Cecil never even noticed. His full attention remained politely on Cosmos, with a gentle smile on his face. Man, the guy was so . . . proper. Zidane waited another second, then looked up at him and whispered, "So . . . that's Rosa, huh?"

The noise startled him. He tensed and looked down, looking Zidane up and down with his eyebrows furrowed as though he couldn't quite remember who he was for a second. "Hey! Hello, hi!" Zidane said, waving slightly. "So, Rosa?" He could feel his tail flick back and forth faster and faster with his rising anticipation. This was juicy stuff right here! Rosa was called to the world! What did Cecil think? Did they have a good first interaction? Did Cecil know how pretty she was? Well, Zidane was sure he knew, but did he know?

"Oh! U-um, yes." Pride showed through his new smile as he returned his gaze to Cosmos. "Aye, that is her."

"And so . . . "

"So what?"

"I don't know, just . . . like, what do you think? Are you happy she's here? Sad? Did you miss her? Did she remember that you guys are married? Did you guys have a good first interaction? I remember you telling us about her. How beautiful she was, and stuff. And all of a sudden, I was walking with the others, and the tip of my tail started twitching. Right here!" He grabbed it from the air behind him and pointed right to the end. "It's kind of like my sixth sense. I can tell where pretty girls are. And all of a sudden, it was just on fire! So I knew somebody pretty was gonna be here. And then I met her, and found out that she the sexy woman you never shut up about! And, just, . . . damn! She's beautiful!" He couldn't think of the words to describe her. She looked like a goddess.

"Yes, she is, isn't she?" Cecil followed his gaze to Rosa. He glanced over to her himself and they met eyes. She blushed and looked down, idly playing with the ribbon tied to her staff. He stared at her for a moment more then looked back down to Zidane.

He had nothing more to say. He shook his head, throwing his hands on his hips while his tail slumped in the water of Sanctuary in defeat. He hissed a breath out through his teeth. "Lucky bastard," he muttered.

"I - I beg your pardon?!" he asked.

Zidane trudged back to Bartz's side.

* * *

Cold metal on her skin.

Shivering.

Grey tinted room.

Black armor, gold accents.

Kain. Blue armor, red accents.

Rope burn.

Kidnapped.

Rosa returned to the present, but even as Cosmos addressed them, the memory still hadn't faded from her senses. She continued to receive quick, sporadic flashes of unconnected details. The warriors around her and her surroundings faded in and out, back and forth between the metal room and the water of Sanctuary. She couldn't root herself there with them, and when they quieted down and gathered around Cosmos, Rosa felt cornered and threatened. Unsure of their surroundings or who was really there with her. As quickly as she could, she ducked and dodged and slid to the back of the group, staying far away from both Cecil and Kain. Knowing she was drawing attention to herself but unable to care at the moment.

"Introductions are first in order . . . summoned two new warriors . . . in your campaign against Chaos."

New warriors? Gods, that was her! Rosa shook her head, blinked hard, and luckily, the residual sparks stopped right in time. She got a quick glance at Sanctuary, at all the warriors around her, at Cosmos up on her throne, and knew she was back for good.

"Quick with knives, a talented archer, and an extremely good mage. Rosa Joanna Farrell," Cosmos said, gesturing towards her. Every one of the warriors in front of her swiveled and turned to look at her. Rosa made sure to meet eyes with every one of them. She wasn't sure why - to assert herself? To ensure she was really here? Either way, she glanced at each warrior in turn. Some were stern, some were happy, some wore no expression. None seemed angry or distrustful, which made her feel a bit more at ease. She smiled, nodding her thanks at Cosmos. "And Bartz Klauser, who is a . . . jack of all trades?" She said it like a question, and looked at Bartz to confirm.

He nodded quickly. "Yeah, that's what I'd call myself! Hi, everybody!"

"You will most likely find him watching you spar for the first few days he is here. He can copy your skills and weapons and replicate them."

" _Wow. Bartz is a Mimic? He'll be a powerful ally_ ," Rosa thought to herself.

"You all will have the chance to introduce yourselves, and some of you already have. I trust you will make them feel welcome, and I trust you all will help them gain their bearings and learn all they can about this world and how we work to end this battle. In the meantime, listen close, all of you. Those of you who have been fighting this war for a while know that Chaos' forces have been quiet for some time. I fear they are plotting extensively, and I fear something large is about to transpire . . ."

Rosa couldn't focus. She couldn't take her mind off of Kain, being here now and also being in her dream. Was he on Chaos' side at any point? Because any rational person would think that he was working with the armored man in her dream. And the way he smiled at her was unsettling. Like he knew something she didn't. Like he was going to prove her wrong about something. Ugh. She was going to have to talk to him again after this. "No, thank you," she said to herself. She resolved right then and there to leave the instant Cosmos was finished speaking. She had to get away from Kain, and from the memory flashes, and from Cecil and his hopeful expectations.

" _There's something I'm missing. There's some crucial detail I'm simply overlooking. Otherwise, this world makes no sense. These people make no sense. This war makes no sense_."

It could be her lost memory. That was a huge variable that needed filled in to solve this equation. Maybe that was all she needed. Cosmos told her earlier that battle was a way to bring some recollection back. How did it happen? A little sparring, then BAM! It all came back? Or was it a much slower process, one memory at a time like she experienced already? If so, how long would it take before she remembered everything? Gods, this was so confusing. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

She returned from her thoughts and gazed at all of her surroundings, only to see Cecil staring at her. Had she been staring back? Her cheeks colored in embarrassment; she looked down quickly and absently fingered the ribbon tied to the bottom of her staff. He was still looking at her. The weight of his gaze on her face forced her to look the other way, only to meet eyes with a purple dragon. Kain. The fear she felt in her memory twisted in her gut, but she forced herself to stay strong and hold her gaze with him. His lips pulled up into a slight smile, though, with his eyes covered, it was impossible to tell if it held any meaning. She shivered with a sudden chill that shot down her back, and returned her attention to Cosmos.

" . . . must always be aware of your surroundings. Look after each other, and support each other. You never know what those on the side of Chaos have in store for you, but if you protect each other, trust in each other, no obstacle will impede your way to your goal. Thank you all, and you may be on your way."

The crowd dispersed as everyone clustered in individual groups. Almost instantly, both Kain and Cecil closed in on her. No way. She was leaving. Rosa spun on her heels and strode away from the group, anxious to be rid of the prying eyes, away from the attention, the unanswered questions. Her image of Kain left her shaken, and she was desperate to have some time to herself to think things through.


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Cosmos ended their meeting, Cecil watched Rosa spin on her heels and run to the edge of Sanctuary.

"Where's _she_ going?" Onion Knight asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's a little rude, isn't it?"

"She's probably overwhelmed. Give her some time," Kain said, staring after her as well.

"Wait, did anyone warn her about the manikins?" Firion asked, glancing wide-eyed at Cecil.

"No," he said. She needed to know or she could get hurt. He took off after her, calling her name. "Rosa! Rosa, wait! There's something-" She already pushed through the barrier.

She paused at the edge of Sanctuary's platform and stared, probably surveying the world below. Cecil pushed harder, sprinting to catch her before she left. By the time he reached the barrier and pushed through, she had already touched the blue gateway sigil and was gone. He slowed down and jogged to the platform's edge, staring over the side until he saw her appear in a flash of blue light at the very edge of the Cornelia Plains. She looked around, left and right, before deciding on a direction - left, towards the Melmond Fens. Then she took off.

"You're not going after her?" Kain asked behind him. Cecil didn't even realize he'd been followed.

"I'm not sure. Clearly she has some reservations about us, and I don't want to make her uncomfortable. But she could get hurt."

"She's strong. Smart. And skilled," Kain said. "She should be fine on her own."

" . . . Sure," Cecil said. "I believe in her."

* * *

Rosa all but ran to the edge of Sanctuary, praying the protective barrier she encountered on the way in would let her through. She placed her hands flat against it and gently pushed, and luckily it seemed to unfold around her. As soon as she stepped out, a burst of chilled air cut through her, and she hugged her arms over her chest. Sanctuary was like a perfect little bubble. So removed from everything, so protected and cocooned, that Rosa figured it was easy to forget that an entire world existed around it. The crystal platform that supported Sanctuary extended out for fifty or so feet in any direction, sprinkled with sharp crystal formations and grey, rolling clouds up above. Rosa walked to the edge and peered over it, and she received a perfect bird's eye view of the tiny, but admittedly beautiful, world.

It looked to be split into two horizontal halves, an upper and lower half. An ocean separated the two in the middle, and an extremely narrow path connected them on the right-hand side. Almost directly below her, Rosa could see the blue gateway sigil she used to first enter Sanctuary, and the ground around it was relatively flat on either side, wrapping around Sanctuary as far as she could tell. To the right she could see the beginnings of white, snowy mountain caps but she didn't want to stay around Sanctuary long enough to find out what the back looked like. The upper half looked to be covered in lava. It had a reddish tint to it, and the clouds looked almost black. Maybe there was a volcano over there.

"Rosa, wait!" she heard behind her. Cecil. She didn't want to talk.

She circled Sanctuary to her left until she found the narrow crystal path that led her straight to the bright blue gateway sigil. She touched it, and its light grew brighter and brighter, blinding her. She shielded her face and turned away while a feeling of weightlessness lifted her feet off the ground. She flailed, feeling like she was going to fall, and then the ground underneath her solidified once again. When she opened her eyes, she was standing at the bottom of Sanctuary's pillar, where she was just looking a moment ago.

She had two choices, left or right. Rosa considered both for a moment, then on a whim decided to go left. She only made it a few steps before hesitation stopped her.

Perhaps running like this, without anyone with her, was a poor decision. She did not know this world, except for where she was standing. She didn't know what the terrain was like, what kinds of enemies may be prowling about, what kinds of tactics she needed to defeat them . . . What if she came across a warrior of Chaos? Or worse, Chaos himself? Cosmos rarely left the throne, so she was told, but what if Chaos prowled around the world seeking to destroy her warriors?

" _I should go back_ ," she thought, and she even stepped in front of the sigil to do so, but she had her bow. She had her bow, she had her staff, and she had her knife. And based on her encounter with Cecil earlier, she remembered how to use them. Well, the bow, at least. The natural skill she knew she had gave her confidence that she could hold her own. She summoned her bow, feeling the weight of the wood in her hands, the draw weight, everything, and she checked to be sure her quiver of arrows was full. Drew the string a couple times and mimicked some practice shots before she decided she'd be fine.

Directly in front of the little archway she appeared under, Rosa saw a cluster of shattered, deteriorated, and broken boulders, shaped around a yellow stone in the middle. Rosa inspected them closer, and realized they weren't boulders. They were bricks, with some built up in a cylindrical shape, some square. They had small holes in them that looked like arrow slits and other battlements. It looked like the remnants of an old castle, and the yellow stone was meant to be the center. A shining crystal floated in the middle - a common theme, it seemed, these crystals - and decorative stone spiraled around it. She briefly wondered if the crystal did anything special, but then remembered that she didn't want to stay around for too long. Not when Cecil and Kain were at her heels and she was so desperate to leave.

She began along the path she chose, the one trailing from the left of her starting point. As she walked, she became aware of the constant sound and surrounding of water. The land wasn't particularly . . . wide at any point here. The ground on which she stood only rose out of the ocean a foot, maybe two. There were rocks, crags, and other croppings around, but no substantial bit of land that was large enough to accommodate a severe weather condition. It disconcerted Rosa, in a way. The constantly cloudy sky, even over Sanctuary. The mild weather there. The utter blandness of the terrain made this world feel as dead as it looked, with an ambiance of apathetic cruelty. She had called it beautiful when she could see it from above, but she didn't feel that way anymore. It was like the world couldn't make up its mind and instead smashed together an eclectic mix of terrains. Regardless, she pressed forward, pushing through brush, fighting through fine sand, and crunching over rocks and dirt.

At one point, the path split. A relatively narrow, flat, dirt path led her straight towards another castle-looking rock while the other path led her sharply to the left. A grey archway, surrounded by grey rocks, made it impossible to see what lay beyond, but it looked to be her only option considering the straight path would take her to a dead end. Despite feeling as though she was alone, Rosa's heart still beat a little harder at the thought of not knowing what could be waiting for her. She tugged on her bow string. Simply knowing she had it, regardless of whether she could use it, quieted a bit of her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she ran ahead through the archway.

The rocks on her left ended first, and as Rosa looked she could see Sanctuary from where she was. The whole pillar rose above the world like a beacon. It made sense, she realized, considering when she was up there the land seemed to curl around it. If she followed the land, she knew she would end up circling Sanctuary. She continued on the path, able to see the land all around her but unable to get to it because of the water. She could explore the path that led to the right before later.

At one point she came to another circle of castle remnants and a yellow crystal. For sake of exploration, she kept going, circling around the back of a line of rocks to cross under an archway again. On the other side of the archway was a circular area completely surrounded by rocks. The brush was arranged in a circle around a standing archway in the middle, and in the archway itself was a glowing blue sigil, just like the one she touched to leave Sanctuary.

" _If I touch this one, will it take me back_?" she thought to herself.

Was it worth the risk if it didn't? Once again, she didn't know this world. What if she was whisked away into some sort of trap? Either a trap set up by Chaos or a trap set up by the natural oddness of this world? She was banking on the fact that she could defend herself, but could she, really? She wanted to say she was confident in her skills, because to say otherwise frustrated her. It was insulting that she didn't even know her skill level.

Leaving was a poor choice. Back at Sanctuary she had sparring partners, opportunities for practice, people to answer questions and quell her concerns. Leaving was rash - and from what she wanted to assume she wasn't a rash person. She liked thinking she was level-headed . . . could she even say that when not two hours ago she didn't know her own name? She didn't know her name, she didn't know her own temperament, she didn't know a thing. The person who did know? Cecil. And she didn't want to talk.

" _Calm down_!" she scolded herself. " _Practice here, if you're so concerned_!"

The sigil was full of designs. It was circular, had x's arranged in it, rather perfect for a target. She turned her back to it, pulling an arrow from the quiver at the small of her back. She found out she could shoot well when she took careful aim. Cecil's hand could attest to it. But what about on the move?

Rosa nocked the arrow. She didn't even have any pointers to give herself. She didn't even remember what she knew about shooting, she just knew she could _do_ it. She took off running, arching around the gateway. When she faced the sigil, she turned over her left shoulder and shot one, two, then three arrows, rapid fire, all aiming for the center. The first one was an inch too far to the right from her momentum. The second one was right on the mark, and the third was also an inch too far to the right.

Okay, so compensate for it. Right?

She did the drill again, aiming a little more to the left with her eyes. Just as she thought, all three shots hit their mark, right in the center of the sigil. If she did anything different with her body, it wasn't conscious. She decided it was good enough, at least to intimidate an adversary if she had to. Next, she drew her staff from her back. Cosmos said she was a white mage, and she remembered the names of the spells. They were still there, like a base knowledge she could draw on.

" _Curaga_ ," she thought to herself. That was the most powerful one. The white crystal began to glow at the top, and Rosa felt a warmth from inside her chest. She latched on to it, imagining it was balling up, and sent it towards the crystal. It moved inside her as well, down her shoulders, arms, and hands, and when it touched the metal of the staff the crystal glowed brighter.

"Curaga," she said aloud. The crystal's white light turned green, and enveloped Rosa. The light, and the warmth she felt in her chest encased her whole body, along with an invigorating tingle of the healing spell. Energizing and dynamic.

She could still shoot, she could still cast. She could go through the gateway.

Rosa retrieved her arrows, and walked up to the sigil. Unsure of what else to do, Rosa held her hand out to it, hoping some sort of magic would let her through, either from within the gateway or within herself. When nothing happened, Rosa simply tried to walk through it.

She heard a _whoosh_ , felt the rush of air, and once again the ground spiraled away from her. The sensations made her a bit lightheaded, but it only lasted for a second. There was a flash, and she was back on the ground, on a dirt path of sorts that looked to be shaped in a cross. Well, it was almost a cross. The the long leg of the cross split at its foot into two diagonal paths.

It was completely abandoned. Totally dead, just like the world around it. There were shards of crystal of all different colors that littered the trail at certain points, but otherwise it was empty. Rosa turned around and looked behind her and saw a black statue sitting at the very top of the cross. The center looked like a horned face, circled in by a swirl. Rosa figured she had to touch that, and that would transport her to wherever she needed to go. She didn't think she could get out of here any other way. All around her was grey swirling - the clouds above Sanctuary. She must be extremely high up. She didn't want to step off the path and fall, if that was even possible.

This world was so strange.

A brief flare of rage festered in her heart, at herself and her memory, at this situation, but she quickly tried to keep it contained. Rage would do her no good, not right now. She needed to take a few minutes. Maybe even hours. And just sit and reflect. Lay down everything she learned and everything she knew, and line up some questions she could ask her comrades or Cosmos when she got back.

When she touched the sigil, she appeared in another unknown realm, but it was real. Not like the trail in the gateway. There were columns, so close together she nearly felt claustrophobic. The whole world held a purple hue, and in the center of the grey transparent floor was a bright swirl of blues and lavenders and white. Magenta chords of light arched overhead and coiled between the pillars.

Rosa took in her surrounding, then sat with her back against a column and stared into the empty sky. She felt like she could think here.

" _Alright. Time to assess things_ ," she thought to herself. " _I know my name. My name is Rosa. Rosa Joanna Farrell. I am an archer, and a white mage_." What else did she know about herself? " _I hail from a world called the Overworld, and from a town called Baron_." Cecil told her that, when she first met him. " _Cecil Harvey and Kain Highwind hail from Baron as well. We grew up together_." She had no memories of it, but she felt like she could trust Cecil based on his reaction when he first saw her. And based on the fact that he knew a lot about her. " _At one point, Kain Highwind betrayed me_." That's what she saw in that memory, anyway. Why else would she be tied up? And why would Kain smile at her like that, with that empty grin?

Regardless of what happened then, she was here now. " _I am in this world because I was called by Cosmos, the goddess of Harmony. I am here to fight for her against the god of Discord, Chaos, and his warriors. I am fighting alongside sixteen allies. The Warrior of Light is the leader, then there is Firion, Tifa, Laguna, Vaan, the Onion Knight, Squall, Lightning, Yuna and Tidus, Zidane, Cloud, Bartz, and Terra, as well as Kain and Cecil_."

" _Cosmos told me that Chaos summoned one person from each of our worlds for us to fight specifically. She told me my nemesis' name is Golbez. He wears black armor, and I believe I saw him in my memory_." Also, Cosmos told her that her memory would return with time. That told her that Cecil and Kain had to have been there and fought there for a long time since they remember so much. Rosa couldn't tell if she wanted to be here long enough to remember as much as they did, or if she wanted to end this war as quickly as possible and just go home.

" _My plan is: to find Golbez. Cosmos said that he is friendly, and a spy for Cosmos. He will probably help me. In the meantime, I will engage and fight any other Chaos warrior that I encounter, so that I can achieve my goal and end this conflict_." There. She laid it all out, what she knew and didn't know, what she suspected, and what she planned to do. She felt more grounded, and less frantic in the fact that she lost her memory. After going through everything she no longer felt that she didn't know a thing, and that she was wandering through the logistics of this world blindly.

Rosa stood to backtrack and make her way back to Sanctuary, but she heard a noise like a _whoosh_ from behind her pillar, in front of the exit. She could hear angry footfalls pacing back and forth, back and forth. They growled through their teeth, too. Whoever they were, they were upset. Rosa leaned around the pillar to get a better look at them. All she could see was their purple cape. It was definitely a man, though. She decided that right as he slammed his weapon on the ground and drug it behind him with a shrieking scraping sound, leaving sparks behind it. He turned around in his pacing, but her angle was just off. She still couldn't see his face.

He rolled his hand around in the air, and a purple pulsing light appeared in his hand. Rosa didn't know what it was, but she didn't have time to figure it out. He spun and threw the light at one of the standing pillars. It exploded, and bits of rock blew out from every direction. Rosa cried out and retreated behind the pillar again, seeing bits of stone ricochet from around her cover. When it was quiet, she leaned over again and peered at the man, holding her breath.

He was hunched over, with a hand to his ear. The explosion must have harmed him as well. He was thrashing a bit, spinning all around. If she could just move a bit closer, she would see his face. She kept watch, leaning farther and farther. She leaned too far, and with obnoxious clacks, the arrows in her quiver shifted, hitting against one another. Rosa dashed back behind the pillar as all motion stopped.

"Where are you, you pathetic coward?" she heard him yell. She didn't answer, didn't even breathe in the silence. "You should know that I am in an extremely foul mood! Show yourself, wretched warrior, or face my power! Whoever dare challenges me, the Emperor Mateus of Palamecia-"

Rosa called her bow, and stepped out from behind the column.

* * *

 _ **Aaand, we're about to heat things up! :) Leave a comment if you have time. The Emperor was just released a little bit ago for the Dissidia update, and he looks BEAUTIFUL! It made me super excited to continue rewriting this fic!**_


	10. Chapter 10

The Emperor would've normally gone to his throne to sulk after an embarrassment of that magnitude, but he was far too furious to even sit down. Instead, he left the Edge of Madness and teleported somewhere he knew he would be alone - a nondescript gateway in the Melmond Fens. In Cosmos' realm, far enough away that he wouldn't be seen and laughed at by Chaos' warriors.

He needed some manikins to destroy anyway.

Unfortunately, when he entered the gateway, there wasn't a single manikin in there. It was only a single-floor gateway. He made a poor choice. No matter, he could summon them to him, if he wanted. The gateway looked like a cross, with slanted feet off the end of the long leg. he called four manikins, one on each arm of the cross and one to each foot.

They don't attack Chaos warriors, but he wished they would. He was so angry, he wanted to fight them, and he wanted to break them. He wanted to stab his staff through their crystal hearts, over and over again, and imagine they were the real Chaos warriors. He wanted to rip their crystal skin with his bare hands, he wanted and watch the lights die in their already-dead eyes.

He didn't even have to break stride for the first one. It was a drab grey in color; a lower level, weak, pathetic copy of Kain Highwind. The Emperor lifted his staff with his power and hurled it to the side, watching as it frisbeed through the air with so much force that it stabbed straight through Kain's stomach. Chunks of crystals broke off and scattered, and the Emperor ripped it out while Kain crumpled to the ground.

The manikins were all gone within minutes, and he still had rage to spare. He touched the Stigma of Chaos stone and was teleported to his destination, the Realm of Darkness, to wallow in his fury. He paced angrily, dragging his staff along the ground behind him so hard, he left a trail of sparks in his wake.

" _Rrgh_!" he growled through his clenched teeth. " _How dare they mock me?! How DARE they_?!" He called a purple bomb to his hand and hurled it at the nearest pillar, not realizing how close he was in his anger. The explosion roared in his ears and knocked all other sound away, and the force blew his hair back. He cried out, staggering back, and quickly touched a hand to his ears to deafen the ringing. Rocks rained down around him, and he was showered in pellets and stones.

Stupid. Stupid, _stupid_!

" _Those idiots don't even know who they're dealing with_ ," he said to himself. " _I have already achieved divinity twice in my lifetime. I have conquered the uppermost reaches of Heaven down to the deepest, fieriest pit of Hell and everything in between. Including the humans' pathetic realm! And yet they treat me like I am nothing! Ha! I am more powerful than six of them together_!"

If they didn't know his power, they would soon. " _They will bow to me if it's the last thing I do_."

The ringing was starting to die down. He could start to make out the natural sounds of the realm. The rush of air that seemed to be constant despite the lack of breeze, the charged hum of the red bands for sliding, floating in the air-

And clacking. He heard clacking. Like wood hitting together.

Someone was here. Cosmos or Chaos, he didn't care. He would end them.

"Where are you, you pathetic coward?" he yelled, sweeping his staff threateningly. The silence went unbroken, and he quickly tried to pick up on the presence near him. He was still a bit disoriented from the explosion, and this wasn't his world. It was the Cloud of Darkness'. His power of perception quickly diminished, seemingly sucked into the grey void in the center.

"You should know that I am in an extremely foul mood! Show yourself, wretched warrior, or face my power! Whoever dare challenges me, the Emperor Mateus of Palamecia-"

The threat died on his lips as a woman emerged from behind a column near the center of the room. Though she was no woman like the Emperor had ever seen before. If a sneer wouldn't have been on his face, his jaw would've surely hung open. Instead, his sneer dropped, long forgotten in her presence.

She had the face of a goddess, as though beautifully sculpted by the Maker himself. Slender face with a sharp, contoured jawline. She had thick, rosy pink lips, arced into a slight frown - though he was certain that in their natural position they were shaped perfectly. She had a long, sharp nose, and her wide, piercing green eyes had deep, rich green as well as flecks of pastel and vibrant emerald greens. They rooted him to the spot, catching him in her spells. She had the thickest, most pale yellow hair, subdued down the length of it by ties, and it caught the light perfectly; her body, her face, her entire being tugged at him, drawing him closer and closer, until he melted beneath her emerald gaze.

She was a succubus, a perfect Lilith, ebbing away at his willpower until he was completely vulnerable.

Immediately, he knew he wanted her for himself. He would get her.

When he regained his senses, he looked her over once more before he spoke. "M-my lady, what manner of creature are you that you should have such beauty?" he asked, stepping closer. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on-

The woman took a step back, her features shifting from gentle curiosity to instant caution. Her frown deepened, and he stepped back as well, being careful not to warn her off.

"My apologies if I alarmed you before," he said, sweeping into a low bow. "Pray tell, what is your name?"

She hesitated, but after a moment returned a shallow curtsey out of politeness. She was familiar with etiquette. Perhaps she was royalty?

"Rosa," she said.

"Rosa," he repeated, like ecstasy on his tongue. "It is not often that one comes across a woman so beautiful in any dimension, let alone this one," he said. Slowly stepping towards her like he was approaching a wild animal. Never breaking his gaze from her eyes. He didn't want to scare her, and he knew she was dangerous if she wanted to be. He could practically see her power, her pink aura, whirling around her like it was the sunset stretching over land. It was intoxicating, that power. If he could but make it his own. Make her his own.

Again, the alarm returned to her eyes and her hand touched an arrow in her quiver. "No closer," she warned him. "Who are you?"

He could not scare her away. Would not. She was too beautiful for him to let slip. Too enticing.

Ah, what if he was able to combine her powers with his? " _Just imagine the power we could have together. She could bring any man to his knees in less than ten seconds, and I can ravage whole kingdoms in almost the same time_." His fists clenched at the thought of it, already imagining it was his fists crushing his enemies, but when his hands chafed on metal, he looked down and remembered he was holding his staff. It was probably scaring her. He flicked his eyes back to hers and cocked his head towards his staff, slowing bending his knees and putting it down with a sharp clang. "I am Mateus, Emperor of Palamecia, my dear," he said, stepping towards her again.

Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes trailed up and down his entire body. A change came over her, and the Emperor watched as the light faded from her eyes for just a moment. She looked confused. "Ah . . . you won't remember me. I am not from your world, my lady." He couldn't be sure if that was what was wrong, but he'd been in this realm long enough to know what a new warrior looked like and what an experienced one looked like. She was new.

Rosa's eyes flared, alerted by his voice, and she shuddered violently, withdrawing from him another step. For a moment he nearly reconsidered his advance. She was intoxicating, but she could probably slip away from him in an instant, and leave him longing. Before he could make a decision, her liquid honey voice melted through his senses.

"And what side of the conflict are you on?" she questioned, muddling his temporary flash of morality.

" _As if it isn't obvious_ ," the Emperor thought. He swallowed, trying to keep his expression calm. "My allegiances matter not," he said. He took step after careful step, and she allowed him to come within conversation distance. He could practically reach out and touch her! Did he dare? It would break all propriety, and very well may startle her off. But he _had_ to have her. He _had_ to touch her, and feel her fair, smooth skin under his hands. If she left, at least he would know.

"You, however, _must_ be on Cosmos' side," he said. He reached out and drew a clawed finger down her right arm. Her exposed arm.

She lightly hopped back, and he grasped at air. "Enough! You're with Chaos, are you not?" She drew an arrow and placed it on the bow. Didn't nock it, just held it in her draw hand.

The Emperor's outstretched hand clenched to a fist. If he could only draw her to him, instead of warding her off . . . Didn't she see how interested he was in her? Didn't she want to know what he could offer her? He peered back into her face, and when his eyes locked back onto hers, it sent a jolt through his chest and straight through his soul, where he was sure she was peering. "Tell me, Rosa, how one as beautiful as you . . ." He teleported, reappearing right behind her. He swept a clawed hand through the ends of her hair, like silk through his fingers. He finished, " . . . gets called to such a conflict?" She whirled around but he was gone, back to her other side. Good. He would make her chase him.

"I don't believe I owe you any answers!" she said, backing away from the Emperor. She was only talking tough. The Emperor knew she had no answers. It frustrated him.

Maybe he could try another tactic. "You carry yourself as one of noble blood. Obviously royalty. Something in common between us."

"I've _nothing_ in common with a warrior of Chaos," she countered evenly, sensing the change in his tone. Her fingers twitched on the arrow.

"Perhaps more than you think. I can show you, if you'd like. You have power, and so do I. Yours glows bright around you like a sun is behind you. I bet you don't even know your full potential, but if you allow me, I can show you." Maybe he could entice her to him. He reached out to her, the corners of his mouth upturning into the slightest ghost of a smile. He stared into her eyes, and withstanding the ferocity of her glare took everything he had. Everything ounce of his willpower was spent resisting the urge to shy away from her and that power. A perfect queen, one of such beauty and power, on the arm of the conqueror of worlds. They would be invincible. If she could catch his eye, make _him_ this captivated, he could only imagine what she could do to whole kingdoms, entire armies of men twice as susceptible.

The fingers of her left hand tightened around her bow, too, and something glinted in the light, catching the Emperor's eye. He broke eye contact with her and stared down at her hand, where the glint came from. "What?"

She turned to run, and for a moment the Emperor could only watch as the wind blew her hair back. He had to catch her - he still had a chance. He teleported after her, materializing directly in front of her. She ran straight into his arms and he caught her, trapping her bow between the two of them. Rosa stabbed the arrow tip right for his abdomen, but he caught her wrist. The Emperor snaked a hand around her back and held her still, glaring at her left hand, still clenched around her bow. She was wearing a ring. A ring on her left hand ring finger. Rosa struggled, pushing away from him, so he let her retreat but snatched her wrist and spread her fingers to inspect it.

It was massive, even by his standards. A circular diamond of outlandish proportions, set on a two-layered square, diamond, rose gold bearing. The band was also set with tiny diamonds and criss-crossed around her finger. The bridge underneath had an intricate design - a small diamond set directly underneath, with studded swirls trailing away from it. There was another ring as well, a plain rose gold with no stones. On her left. hand. ring. finger.

"A _wedding_ band?!" No! No, no! Only he was entitled to brandish a woman like her! He alone should have her charms, her raw power, her beauty, her being! "Aaah, I see now!" he said angrily. "Refusing me and my obvious power and riches because you're already taken! I should've known-"

"N-no!" she stammered, trying to pull away. "I-I'm not! Let go of me!"

"Oh, you're not? Then what's _this_?" He shook her wrist hard.

"I don't- please let go!" He could tell that she was doing everything gin her power to stay calm. He only had one more chance to convince her before she panicked.

"Do you not see the potential we have, Rosa?!" he asked. He gripped her wrists tighter. "Your beauty, and your power matched with mine! Why, whole realms would be on their knees before our might! You and I, ruling together as two of noble blood should: with crushing authority! Monarchs of the _entire world_ -"

"You are a tyrant!" she cried, ripping her wrists free. Before he could blink she had her bow aimed and an arrow notched and drawn. "I fight for Cosmos! You are manipulative and cruel, as to be expected from one of Chaos! I already know that I am nothing but an object for you, a target for acquisition. In what world would you even _dream_ that I would join you? You claim to have power but all I see is a desperate man, trying to gain an advantage of some sort with empty words in pitiful attempts. You have no real power!" Her bow creaked under its pressure, but Rosa held the string taut, unflinching. She was physically strong, too. The Emperor could see the muscles in her arm, clenched and taut but unwavering.

No real power? No! He was the only one in this godforsaken world with real power. She was _not_ refusing him. He wouldn't allow it! He wouldn't allow her to humiliate him, not after what he just went through in front of the Chaos warriors. He was through being embarrassed. She had killed his mood. He could feel the fire in his eyes and in his soul slowly dulling to a dim spark. The Emperor wanted to reply to her. He wanted to be sweet, he wanted to keep her interested in him, but all he cold feel was his resurfacing rage. He didn't know how else to respond. This was unacceptable.

His jaw opened, closed, and opened again as he tried to come up with a crushing retort. " . . . _I am Mateus, sovereign of Palamecia. None refuse me. None refuse me! Not HER_." He got what he wanted, or there was hell to pay.

Fine. He would make her pay.

" _Hmph_! 'Real power'?" he hissed. He would show this wretch what happened when he was refused. He swept his hand to the side and his staff drew to him from where he lay it down for her. "Allow me to show you what _real power_ is!"

* * *

 _ **Don't forget to leave a review if you have time! I've been told this chapter's a good one, and I like to think it is! :)**_

 _ **I got a CuriousCat! Keyblader41996! Ask me anything about Petal!**_


	11. Chapter 11

Rosa was right to be wary from the moment she saw him. And as soon as he touched her arm, she should've planted a swift kick to his jaw and ran. But no, she stayed, and now he was attacking her.

" _Why did I stay_?!" she screamed at herself.

Rosa had never been so scared in her life. Her heart pounded in her throat, her breath couldn't seem to come fast enough, and she didn't know what to do. Oh, gods, she didn't know what to _do_. She thought she practiced. She thought she prepared. She didn't realize until now how pathetic her 'practicing' really was. A few shots at a false target? Really?

The Emperor let her go, and she ran behind a pillar, taking cover for a second while she knew she still had time. Her first battle. " _I hope you know what you're doing_ ," she warned herself, nocking an arrow to the string of her bow. Her stomach tightened, like there was a ball in there, knotting tighter and tighter. She felt light-headed, like she would be sick. Oh, gods. She would have to _shoot_ him. She may very well have to _kill someone_ , albeit a Chaos warrior, on this day.

"Oh, no, girl, you'll not escape me now!" she heard him yell.

So, now she was 'girl?' In a way, it justified her concern. Two seconds ago he would have ridden an antlion bareback for her if she asked him, but now that his prize was lost, she was nothing to him once more. " _I called this one right_ ," she thought to herself, momentarily proud in her judge of character despite not knowing a thing about this world or its warrior.

Okay, okay. She couldn't hide forever. Time to go. Rosa took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She side-stepped to step out from behind the pillar, but when she turned her head she came face-to-face with the Emperor. She let out an involuntary shriek and loosed her arrow straight for his face. He turned at the last second, and her arrow just grazed his cheek before clattering loudly to the floor.

The Emperor recoiled with a grunt of pain, hand flying to his cheek. When his hand came away, his mouth dropped open in shock at the sight of blood on the palms of his gauntlet. With a small growl he rushed at Rosa, using his magic to swing his staff for her head. She ducked beneath the blow, and he used the arc of the swing to bring it back over his head. He slammed the end down into the ground, throwing bombs in her direction. Inexperienced, she lurched clumsily to the side but the shock of the blasts threw her backwards.

Something natural clicked inside of her head while she was in the air. Something cold, and calculating. Rosa made a split-second decision to tip her head back and arch her back, throwing her feet over her head in a back flip. She landed on her feet, pausing to assess her situation. He was directly in front of her, blocking her exit. From what she could see, there were no other escape routes. He was a distance fighter, using magic to control his staff and throw bombs at her. He probably had other magics as well. Rosa quickly listed her advantages and disadvantages: she was ranged, mid-ranged, and close-ranged - completely versatile with her knife and her bow. She had white magic, so she could protect herself. She was at a disadvantage because she did not know what kinds of tricks he may have up his sleeve.

Another advantage: his ego. He was cocky, overconfident. Easily flustered.

Her sense of battle startled even her. Her mind moved at an impossible rate, fueled by adrenaline and instinct.

Until the memory came. Like a portal she was whisked away to another dimension as the flashback played out:

 _"Oh, you cherish this one, do you?" a thick, deep voice asked. His dark tones reverberated off the glass all over, making it seem louder than it was. The owner of the voice stepped closer to Rosa. "Then let me take her along as well . . . to hold in trust until we are graced with the chance to meet again."_

 _He wrapped his massive arms around her, pinning her arms in place. She struggled and kicked, but he held her too tightly. He began to drag her from the room, and she screamed and fought. Cecil was defeated, lying on the cold floor of the glass room, and Kain was nowhere near her to help. With a sweep of his cape, he teleported, cackling as the world spun away from her eyes._

She was snapped out of the memory by a mild blow to her middle. It barely even hurt, but it did knock her off-balance. Staggering back, she focused once more on the Emperor, who waved his staff in the air and drew another crest of purple light. Five orbs of purple magic shot out of the sigil. Heading straight for her. Frozen.

" _Dodge, dodge, DODGE_!" she yelled at herself. She leaned to the side, but the others had fanned out. She stepped right into another's path. It hit her shoulder, so hard she almost spun completely around. Rosa could feel the adrenaline starting to kick in. Her sweaty hands shook on her bow, so violently she saw the string tremble. She felt like she couldn't quite get a solid grip on it, and her chest tightened around her heart, making her pant harder just to breathe. The sweat beading on her hairline was already gently dripping down her face and she just wanted to run.

Run. " _Just run_!" she yelled again to herself, spinning around. She didn't get two steps before something glinted on the ground in front of her, like a spark. Pink-ish spikes rose up around her, looming over her and blocking her in. She skid to a stop, and the orbs of the Dreary Cell charged up, throwing sparks all over the place. She cringed and shied away, thinking they were going to immediately detonate, and landed on her backside.

The Emperor chuckled. "I believe you've just seen a memory, dear _Rosa_ ," he said, snarling her name. "A vision of your husband, perhaps? You'd best be careful, lest he always get in the way like that!" Rosa scrambled to her feet.

The trap detonated around her.

An orb exploded near her side, knocking the breath out of her. She choked, then careened right into another, and the fire engulfed her right shoulder.

For a moment, all she felt was white-hot, excruciating pain. A weak, breathless scream ripped from her throat while her skin sizzled and burned under her pauldron, and before Rosa could even pull away on her own she was thrown back around, onto her knees. She reached for her shoulder - when did she drop her bow?-

BOOM. Somewhere around her another went off. She didn't know where anymore. She couldn't see. Her ears rung. She was dizzy, and disoriented, and she couldn't breathe. Rosa dropped to her stomach and curled up, trying to make herself as small as possible to protect herself.

" _Protect_!" she yelled to herself.

Rosa knew the spell. Without thinking she reached over her head for her staff, but the burn on her shoulder halted her. Instead, she used her hands. The warmth built in her chest. She tried to speak the word, but her breath still hadn't come back properly. She barely managed a quick Protect barrier before the rest of the mines went off. She held it until the smoke cleared, but when she lowered her hands, the Emperor was nowhere to be found. Where was he, oh gods. Where was he?! Shaking, shoulder throbbing. She was weak, inexperienced, and he knew it. He knew it, and he was going to attack her at any moment.

Rosa circled, feet frozen to the spot in tension, looking all around for the Emperor's next attack. She picked up her bow from where she dropped it, pulling the string to mid-draw. Her shoulder twinged, her skin ached hot, and she could even feel the heat from her red, blotchy skin rising off of the wound. She bit her lip and swallowed down the scream she wanted to let loose.

When she didn't feel the arrow rest on her hand, she looked and realized she never nocked another one. Growling in frustration, she grabbed one and slammed it in place.

His laugh resonated through the world. Laughing at her, laughing at her pain, laughing at her clumsiness. His voice bounced and echoed off the columns, making it seem like he was everywhere. The small of her back tingled and tightened. She felt like she was being stared at. Attack coming-

Rosa jumped, spinning around. Nothing. She pulled the string to full draw, faltering for an instant as her shoulder pulled and tore with it. The wet, warm blood that had dripped to her fingers made the string slippery, and she had to take an extra second to get a firm hand on the string for full draw.

"Does your husband have powers like this?" he asked, his voice circling around her. " _Hmph_! And here I thought we could make use of our strengths. But now I see that you're the one with no real strength at all. Just another pretty face, doomed to fade just as those before you."

"Where are you?!" she cried, circling again.

" _Hahahaha_!" His warm breath trickled down her neck and she dropped her bow to reach for her knife. She swiped at air behind her.

If she didn't figure something out, he was going to toy with her forever, then kill her. Her stomach hurt, her shoulder hurt. She couldn't run. She knew if she did he would be right there with her to push her back. She didn't know what kind of magic he was using. Maybe she could dispel it. She thought of the word, even imagining the painful warmth from her shoulder powering into the spell. It traveled to the center of her chest again, and Rosa clasped her hands over it, hoping to draw more power. Cursing her shaking hands, her shaking knees. And the blood on her fingers. Staining her clothes. She would have to cast this to the entire reaches of this place to find him.

When she felt it was powered up enough, she threw her hands out, imagining a purple wave shooting out from her to all sides. She pictured it pulsing to the edges of the world. Filling the space.

Rosa stood and waited for him to appear.

Waited.

Waited.

Right when she thought the spell didn't work, she heard a _whoosh_ behind her. There! Rosa took the knife in her left hand and spun over her left shoulder, hurling her knife overhand towards the Emperor. He appeared right in its path, and it embedded to the hilt into his collarbone.

"Agh!" he yelled, and Rosa felt a wave of morbid relief wash over her. She landed a hit. The blow threw his shoulder back, and she rushed him once more. She picked up her bow as she went by and parried a swing from his staff. With a sweep she ripped it from his hands with the arm of her bow, throwing it to the side. Her second swing back collided with the Emperor's jaw, and she went for a third, but he grabbed the bow, halting it. Rosa reached behind her back, grabbed a gold plumed arrow and the string, and leaned back on her heels as far as she could go, pulling the string with her weight. She snapped the arrow into place and let go. It pierced his shoulder, and she let her momentum carry her through a back hand-spring. She then slid forward, ripping her knife from his shoulder to jam it into his exposed ribs.

Forcing him to a knee, she jumped and pushed off his leg to over to the wall. Using the wall as a floor, she ran along shooting arrow after arrow. _Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!_ Until five fresh shafts protruded from the Emperor's chest. She crouched, pouring all her muscle power into her legs for a final leap from the wall, and she drew one last arrow, landed before the Emperor. Rosa channeled Holy magic from her body straight through to the arrow, so powerful that the tip glowed white from it. The heat burned her fingers but she held it, afraid that if she even twitched, it would slip. A snarl of power and rage escaped her lips as she put the tip to his throat. He lifted his chin and stared up the shaft at her, wide-eyed and panting.

" _Shoot him, Rosa! Shoot him_!" she screamed to herself. " _He tried to kill y-_ "

No. No, no. Rosa's eyes were open, but for a minute there, she wasn't sure she was seeing anything. Like waking up, time seemed to slow down, and things started to pour into her senses from all over. She blinked once. Twice. Looked around and remembered the pillars, the magenta ribbons around her, remembered where she was. The pain of her shoulder returned and she winced, skin aching as her fingers clenched the string of her bow too tightly. She looked down and saw the Emperor. A real person. A warrior of Chaos, but a _person_ , staring at her. Fear in his eyes. Fear of her. Breath laboring, weaponless, bloodied from the knife in his side, hands frozen on their way to clutch at it.

Rosa lowered the tip away from his neck and cast her bow away, but kept one hand braced against his shoulder in case he tried anything. She never took her eyes from his, willing him to stay in place - no, _begging_ him with her eyes to stay there. She was sure hers looked as wide and fearful as his. Even as she leaned down and touched the hilt of her knife. He squirmed, pursing his lips together and muffling his noise of pain.

" _Mmf_!" She tugged her knife from his side and he gasped, throwing a hand to his side.

Everything in Rosa was telling her to run, now impossible to ignore. She slowly backed away from the Emperor before finally turning around and running from the battleground when she felt it was safe to.

* * *

 _ **Rosa's first battle! It was difficult for me to find the balance between conscious and unconscious mental/physical inexperience and conscious and unconscious mental/physical experience. Let me know how I did!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Ultimecia picked the perfect day to eavesdrop.

Her decision to follow the Emperor was on a whim. On any other day she wouldn't bother with him, but he tried so hard to be above them. He tried so desperately to seem untouchable that she jumped on every chance she could to watch him fail. She wanted to watch him try to lick his wounds and regain some semblance of the pride that Chaos shredded.

After he shoved and stomped his way past all of the warriors, she trailed him at a distance, masking her presence so he wouldn't know she had followed him. Of course, when they both got to the Realm of Darkness, neither of them could have known that Cosmos' new warrior would be there. Rosa, her name was. And Ultimecia couldn't have known just what this Rosa would do to him!

Refusing all of his advances and humiliating him; five arrows to the chest; two stab wounds, one in the front of his shoulder, one in his side. She took a few hits herself, but absolutely destroyed him in the end. Not a half hour ago, Ultimecia would have argued that Chaos destroying the Emperor was the best thing she ever witnessed. She didn't think it could get much worse for him.

She'd never been more happy to be proven wrong.

Time to gloat.

She cast away all of her shrouds and appeared behind the Emperor. He had both his feet under him, wobbling on his ankles. He tried to stand, but his legs failed him. He fell back to his knees with a small grunt of pain. Ultimecia circled around to see his face, but he had his eyes glued to the floor and his hands pressed to the bleeding wound in his side. He looked to be panting, taking tiny, shallow breaths.

This was too good.

"What are- _you_ -doing here, witch?" he asked through ragged breaths. The arrow shafts rose and fell with his chest, taking small circles in the air.

Ultimecia couldn't keep the smile from her face. She could only imagine how embarrassed he was. "That was the most pathetic battle I've ever seen."

"Leave me be-"

"And how long has it been since you've courted a woman?" she asked. His eyes widened, whatever color was left in his face quickly blanched as he realized she saw that, as well. "She took to you, didn't she?-"

"Silence!" he yelled. He braced his staff against the ground and leaned heavily against it to stand. Ultimecia watched him struggle to a hunched over standing position before he threw his staff down and gently closed a hand around one of the arrow shafts. Preparing himself with as deep a breath as he could muster, he yanked on it, only to snap it. " _Nrgh_!" he cried, staggering forward. His panting intensified, chest heaving faster and faster. His eyes were wide and he was blinking heavily. "Damn!" he hissed through his teeth. He threw the shaft to the side next to his staff.

Now she could make him feel worse. "You shouldn't do that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You'll break every single one of those before you ever get them out." He glared up at her.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you told me now. I couldn't have used that information earlier," he sneered back.

Ultimecia stepped forward and gestured to the arrows. "Allow me?" she asked. He opened his mouth for a nasty retort, probably something along the lines of, ' _No, I don't want your help!_ ', but he must have remembered his predicament. Ultimecia saw the glow of pride dim in his eyes, and he nodded.

She grabbed the broken shaft right where it entered his chest and braced herself to pull it out. "Ready?" she asked. Before he could reply she counted down, "Three, tw-" She ripped out the arrow. It came out easy - the tip itself was only buried an inch or two in his skin under his armor. He collapsed to his hands and knees, and she inspected the tip of the arrow for any bits of flesh she may have ripped out with it. "I do have to say, she was one of the prettiest warriors even I've ever seen." she said, kneeling next to him. She grabbed another shaft close to his chest and ripped it out before he could even prepare. "And you're lucky the shafts aren't that deep. Either that or she wasn't aiming to kill you."

"She was inexperienced, and weak-"

"Clearly," she muttered sarcastically. A bead of blood that had welled up in the cut on his cheek dripped down his face. The Emperor's eye twitched, but otherwise he gave no outward sign that he noticed. Ultimecia reached out and grabbed his chin, gently tracing her claw under it. " _Tsk_! Awww," she pouted, clicking her tongue.

He swatted her hand away. "I had her, right where I wanted her."

"Of course you did." He was so pathetic. She chuckled at how ridiculous he sounded, trying to defend himself with a flimsy lie.

"I-I swear, if you tell anyone of this, I will drag you down to the deepest pit of Hell and-"

Ultimecia grabbed the third arrow shaft a little too hard, and twisted it a tiny bit. The Emperor cut off to cry out and brace his arm on her shoulder to keep from pitching forward. She raised a thin eyebrow. "Oops. I'm sorry, you'll what?" _Rip_. "Don't make threats you can't keep, Emperor." _Rip_. She eyed the last shaft, then his side where blood still leaked from the hole in his armor. "You'd best keep pressure on that," she told him, raising her chin to his side. His lips curled up in a sneer, but he did as she said. He pressed both hands to the wound, closing his eyes to concentrate his power.

"That wound is too deep to heal completely-" she argued, but he cast the Curaga before she could finish. The light poured from his hands into the wound, and though the light seeped into the cut, it didn't leave any outward signs of healing. Only the deepest layer of skin patched itself together. The blood flow slowed significantly, to his credit.

She smiled coldly down at him, hoping he realized exactly what she realized: " _I know I've got this over you, foolish man. And I intend to use it to my full advantage_." He winced, but to Ultimecia, it didn't seem to be out of pain. With a chuckle and a final tug she ripped the last arrow from him.

"Shall I fetch the surgeon?" she asked jokingly, laying out a hand to help him up. He snorted, instead picking up his staff and using it to stand once more.

"This stays between us," he warned once more, holding his side even as he lifted his staff in the air and disappeared.

" _Hmph_! My lips are sealed," she said, drawing a zipper across her mouth.

* * *

Throbbing. Searing pain. Attacking her shoulder over and over again.

Rosa's sweat salted the burn, the watery seepage fused her pauldron to it - and every pump of Rosa's arms while she ran tore her pauldron free and slapped it back in place. Shot intense pulses crawling in waves over her whole wound. Heat from her blistered skin radiated all the way to her neck and face. She could barley focus on anything else. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill at any second, and she almost stopped in her escape just to clutch at it and do anything she could to stop the pain. She could heal it, she knew. All she had to do was stop and cast a few spells on it, but she couldn't stop yet. She didn't feel safe.

She left the way she came, touching the Stigma of Chaos and traveling back through the gateway floor. The dizzying sight of the world falling away from her nearly knocked her off her feet, and she collapsed to a knee to keep her balance under her, shutting her eyes against the lights and the whirring sound. After what seemed like forever, she phased through the blue sigil. When the ground crashed under her feet again her shaking legs failed her. She collapsed out of the gateway, sprawling on her face and stomach in the tall grass. She didn't know how, but she had the presence of mind to roll to her side a bit and protect her injury.

The air was cool, just like when she first left Sanctuary hours ago. Was it hours? It felt like hours to her, but she couldn't be sure. The fight, the adrenaline, and the pain was distorting her sense of time. Either way, just the cool air on her shoulder was enough to soothe it a bit, and she sighed in relief. For a second.

" _Come on, come on_!" she pressed, dragging herself to her feet. He could be behind her. He could be _right_ behind her. The second Rosa had the thought, she felt the fear creep upon her back, pressing against her, poking her and bothering her. Urging her forward in panic. She staggered towards where she could see Sanctuary's pillar over the mountains that circled around her and framed her in. She ran back the way she came, but after the relief she felt, the tugging and ripping of the wound instantly brought tears to her eyes again. " _Go, just go_!" she yelled to herself, pushing herself harder and harder. She wasn't far from Sanctuary. She could make it. If she got to Sanctuary, then she could stop.

Unfortunately, Rosa tired out quickly in her weakness, only making it back to the narrow land bridge before her legs were jelly and her throat was too constricted. White began to creep into the edges of her vision and dizziness overtook her. She collapsed to her knees, dropping her bow so she could catch herself with her good arm. Her head was spinning, spinning, and the panic was still there, but it was distant. Rosa reached over the side and scooped water in her hands, throwing it all over herself - her face, what she could stand of her shoulder, her mouth. It was clumsy, she couldn't quite see a whole lot, and her limbs felt weak and disconnected, but it felt good to just lay there and breathe.

Eventually, she calmed down. Her breath came easy, the white faded, and she stopped shaking. She was able to drag herself to her feet again, certain she was going to be sore when all this hit her but too concerned to worry about it at the moment.

" _I hurt someone_." The thought struck her harder than she was prepared for, planting itself in the forefront of her mind. It repeated, over and over in her head. " _I just hurt someone. I just attacked and harmed someone. I shot him. I shot him five times_."

She was a White Mage. White Mages healed people that were hurt. People came to White Mages for protection and recovery.

" _It was in defense_ ," she told herself. " _He attacked you, not the other way around. You were only defending herself._ " Yes, defense. Defense. How else did she protect herself back on Baron? The fact that she knew how to shoot proved that she used her bow before - even if she couldn't remember it. She wasn't weak, and clearly she wasn't one to hide in the back. She shot well because she practiced, and she must have practiced somehow on Baron. Considering Cosmos called her, Rosa assumed it was monsters. She helped to purge Baron of evil, and so Cosmos called her to purge this world of evil.

" _You've obviously shot things before, so calm down_!"

But _people_? She wanted to say no.

Rosa liked rationalizing it like that. It helped calm her down.

She stumbled and trudged all the way to where the path curved around and led straight to Sanctuary. But when she turned the corner, her eyes locked on a still form to her right. A man with purple clothes on, lying motionless in the dirt on his stomach. She gasped before she could help herself, and ran over to them.

"Are you okay-?" she asked. She reached out with her shoulder - her bad shoulder - and her flesh screamed in protest. Rosa froze, hissing a breath through her teeth, and touched his shoulder with her other hand. She rolled him over onto his back, and withdrew in horror.

She was looking at Zidane. She could tell it was him by his tail, but a grotesque, lavender, crystalline version of him. Even his skin and lips were purple, making what she could see of his cheeks seem puffed and suffocated. His neck had craned towards her when she turned him over, and she came face to face with milky, iris-less, cream-colored eyes, locked open. Staring straight through her despite being lifeless. She touched his skin and could feel how cold and hard it was, and she finally looked closer and saw the shardy, chiseled look the rest of his body had. It looked like purple crystals had grown out over his entire body. Even his clothes, his hair, and his tail seemed hard and frozen too, stuck in a half-curled position behind him.

Someone had slashed him, right across his chest. The crystal was broken and chipped around it, and when she took a peek inside the wound it was crystal inside, too. What is this? "Zidane?" she asked, quickly bending over him again. Maybe she could revive him. She quickly thought of the Life spell she wanted, and focused on sending towards Zidane. Was he cold from the crystal, or was he cold from death? She prayed it was the former, but the dread melted her heart and pooled it down in her stomach. She placed her palms on either side of his cut, and the warmth made its ay up through her chest. It touched her shoulder, and the tingling grated on her nerves for just a second before cooling relief. She resisted the urge to hold it there and cure herself. Zidane needed help, and he needed it _now_. She could heal herself later. It took her extra effort to tug the warmth from her, like it knew how much she wanted it and just wanted to toy with her for an extra second. Instead, it traveled down her arms and circled around Zidane's purple form, seeming to draw straight to the hole in his chest.

Zidane didn't even twitch. Her chest tightened around a panic that took root, and her stomach knotted. He wasn't gone for good, was he? "Zidane, wake up! Please!"

She tried the spell again, focusing harder for longer, but even after the light enveloped him for the second time, he didn't move. She sat back on her heels.

Zidane . . . Gods, what would she tell everyone when she saw them? What would she tell _Bartz_ , already his good friend after mere hours together? That she came across Zidane, frozen by some kind of Stone spell and stabbed? By whom? By what? A Chaos warrior? She had no answers, nothing to tell anyone.

Rosa stood from Zidane, and quickly looked around the small area. It was quiet, completely dead. It didn't look like anyone had been through here since she had been. Nothing had changed, except for Zidane lying here.

He wasn't real. It couldn't be real. That was the only conclusion she could come to, and she jumped to as quickly as she could, trying to rationalize it as desperately as she could. She just spoke to Zidane. And unless he somehow managed to completely and utterly mask his presence behind her, this was a copy. Plus, there wasn't a spell she knew that could turn a person into crystal. Stone, yes, but not crystal. It looked like a flawed copy, like an unfinished crystal sculpture of him. Someone had been through here, and destroyed it.

Sanctuary was there, _right_ there, but Rosa didn't want to leave Zidane. If this really was him, she needed to know what happened to him. Leave Zidane, or stay and try to heal him? After debating, she chose to go to Sanctuary. Cosmos would be able to tell her everything. It loomed overhead, bathed in its white light like a beacon. Rosa pressed the last quarter mile to the sigil, and teleported up to the top.

* * *

 _ **I love being mean to the Emperor, and I love making Ultimecia be mean to the Emperor even more. The two of them are in perfect competition, always at each other's throats even in Dissidia - his quote to her when they're going to battle is, "Let us crown the real master." They see each other as their only true competition, so any chance they have to one-up the other, they're going to take it!**_

 _ **On a separate note, let me know how I did describing Rosa's pain and her fear in encountering the manikins for the first time. It gave me trouble as I was writing this.**_

 _ **~Keyblader**_


	13. Chapter 13

Four steps.

Three steps.

Two steps.

One step.

And Rosa broke through Sanctuary's clear hexagonal barrier. She braced for it to brush her shoulder, but luckily her pauldron protected the majority of it from the sensations. The air inside Sanctuary was gentle and warm - comforting any other time, but it felt sweltering now. She was sweating, she was bloodied, and she panted warm air back into her lungs from sprinting back. It didn't help her dry throat.

She stopped just inside of the barrier and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She raised her head to see who all was here, and who all would hear the news about Zidane. Cosmos was on her throne still, like she hadn't moved. Rosa looked around for Bartz and she didn't immediately see him. That helped her breathe a bit of a sigh of relief. Someone else could bear the burden of telling Bartz after she told Cosmos and the others who were here.

When she felt she could speak better, she ran towards the throne. "Cosmos!" she yelled. "Cosmos!"

Cosmos smiled in her direction, but when she saw Rosa's singed shoulder her face fell. "Rosa-"

"No, no! Zidane!" she screamed, pointing back the way she came with her good arm. "He was- . . . _Just say it,_ " she told herself silently. "I found him just outside, and he was- . . . _DEAD_ ," rang hollowly in her head, but the word refused to form in her throat. "Crystal! He was purple, and he looked like crystals had grown all around his body, and he- . . . Someone attacked him, and-" Rosa forced as deep a breath as she could muster into her lungs, and practically screamed out what she wanted to say. "He's dead!"

She didn't know what she expected, but she expected some kind of reaction. From Cosmos, from the other warriors around her. She expected solemnity, she expected tears, perhaps, if they knew Zidane well, she expected shock and surprise. She received none, not even from Cosmos. A dead and bored silence greeted her in the wake of her announcement, and she let the confusion cross her face.

"Zidane is dead! He's been turned into crystal! Does anyone care? I tried to revive him, but he wouldn't wake!"

"Your shoulder is injured."

"What is wrong with you?! Don't you care about your warrior?!"

"What you saw wasn't the real Zidane Tribal."

" . . . What?" Rosa asked.

Before Cosmos could continue her explanation, Cecil's voice called above the crowd, "Rosa!" He pushed his way to the front, and his face paled when he saw her shoulder. The small trickle of dried blood down her arm. "My god, Rosa, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes," she said quickly, waving him away irritably. "Who was that, then, if not Zidane? What do you mean?"

Rosa supposed she wasn't reacting properly to this, either. At knowing Zidane was probably fine - or at the very least the real Zidane wasn't lying out there turned to crystal - she should feel relieved. Happy, at the very least, but instead all she felt was confusion. And anger. Cosmos clearly knew about these crystal beings, and hadn't told her. Hadn't told any of them.

"Rosa, at least heal yourself first-" Cecil tried to press. She shook her head and held her hand up to him, palm out.

" _Shush_! Cosmos, What is this? Is Zidane dead, or isn't he?" The word came out easily this time.

Cosmos gently shook her head, and when she looked up her crystal blue eyes were flat and emotionless. Different from her usual warmth and motherly tenderness. "What you encountered is the monster of this world. They are imperfect replicas of the warriors who are called here, formed of crystal. We call them 'manikins', because they are mindless. They know only fighting, and they know only destroying those of you who fight for me."

"Manikins," she breathed, testing the strange word. "It's a copy?" she reiterated, just to make sure she was clear. "It's a crystal copy of Zidane? It's not really him?"

"It's not," Cosmos said, nodding to affirm Rosa's understanding. She clasped her hands over her heart and closed her eyes. "Zidane is still well. He travels with Bartz, the Onion Knight, Vaan, and Squall near the Bahamut Isles."

Rosa didn't know where the Bahamut Isles were, but she nodded as though she did.

"I'm sorry," Cosmos continued. "We would have warned you about the manikins, but you left-"

"'We'?" Rosa asked. "They all know about them?"

"My other warriors? Yes," Cosmos said. "The manikins have existed in this world for a while now. All those who have fought with me for a while have encountered them."

Rosa looked around, to all the faces who were staring at her. Staring at her, mostly expressionless. Some looked sad, but Rosa knew it was sadness that she had to find out the way that she did, by encountering one and believing her friend was dead for a hot second. Shame and embarrassment heated in her cheeks, and she looked down before any of them saw how embarrassed she was. She hated not knowing this world. She hated wandering around blindly, just taking things as they come.

"Did the manikin injure your shoulder?" Cecil asked.

Standing still for so long, Rosa very nearly forgot about it. Aware of it again, a heated itch sparked along the edge of it, and Rosa winced, resisting the urge to scratch it. "Ah, no. That was from a real person."

He reached out to grab her hand, but she backed away from him. " _Too close, Cecil. Watch it_ ," she silently warned him. His shoulders slumped the slightest bit, but he backed away a step.

"What happened?" he asked, dropping his hand to his side.

"A Chaos warrior threatened me, and attacked me. We fought, but I ran when I had him down."

"Who was it?" Warrior asked, barely after she finished her sentence.

"He called himself Emperor Mateus-"

Firion perked up from near the back of Cosmos' warriors. "You fought the Emperor?"

She nodded. "Is he yours?"

"Yes. He's a power-hoarding tyrant."

"I gathered as much."

"You wounded him, you said?"

"Yes. Not fatally," she added. "I won the fight, though. I sh- . . ." Rosa took a deep breath. "I shot him five times, if that did it. He got a good shot in, though." Rosa glanced at her painful shoulder, and knew she'd have to remove her pauldron to air it out, though she dreaded it. She decided to get it over with, gently undoing the buckle on the underside of her bicep. It was hard with only one hand, and Cecil watched her fumble for a second or two before offering his hand.

Rosa shook her head. She didn't want anyone's help. She already looked ignorant a moment ago with news of the manikins. She wanted to prove that she had some sort of strength, even if it was undoing a buckle with one hand. After a minute, the buckle came off, and the pauldron slid off her shoulder, grinding against the whole burn. Fiery pain, like she was burnt all over again, radiated across her shoulder. Rosa bit her tongue and managed to quiet down her cry of pain, but she wasn't able to stop the tears from welling in her eyes. She took a deep breath and breathed the pain away until she could move, sniffing in its wake.

"I could help you-" Cosmos started.

"No!" Rosa yelled. "I remember that you were weakened by calling me. Save your strength."

Hovering her hand over the sticky patch, she could still feel the heat from it. She closed her eyes and called the Curaga spell, drawing it from her hands straight into the wound. Like before, the tingle grated on her nerves for just a moment before soothing it in cool relief. Before her eyes the red skin healed into healthy pink, stretching over and closing the wound.

Rosa openly sighed in relief. "See?" she said, to Cosmos, Cecil, and anyone else who was still listening. "Good as new."

"Yes," Cosmos said, smiling down at her. "Well done. Your magic is extremely powerful, Rosa Farrell. Every moment you are here, you validate why I called you." Rosa saw Cosmos' eyes flick to the side, and when she followed her gaze, she realized Cosmos was glancing at Cecil. In turn, Cecil's eyes flared - the only visible sign that Cosmos' words meant something to him. Rosa couldn't even begin to guess . . . unless that was why Cecil attacked her before? Rosa quickly put the pieces together in her head: Cecil knew her before she was called. Upon finding out she was here, he became irate and that was why he attacked Cosmos before.

So, what, did Cosmos offer him a subtle dig? Or was it harmless? Cecil raised his chin, as though raising himself above her words, before turning and walking towards the edge of Sanctuary.

"You've earned a rest," Cosmos said to her. "Please spend some time here. And speak to some of your comrades. They may offer more insight as to the ways of this world, and they may be able to answer your questions."

Rosa hoped her indignation didn't show on her face. " _I had assumed that to be your job_ ," she thought to herself, " _since you are the goddess here_." And, in a way, the indirect architect of the ways of this world. Cosmos existed in this world first, then called them here. Shouldn't she know?

Regardless, Rosa offered a shallow curtsey to Cosmos and took her advice, walking over to Firion.

* * *

 _ **Leave a comment if you have time. Thanks to all who are keeping up with this!**_


	14. Chapter 14

It wasn't that the Emperor welcomed other Chaos warriors into Pandaemonium, but he didn't mind if the occasional warrior passed through. To plan, to pass information - or even just to chat, if the mood struck him.

Then again, after thinking harder into it, he supposed that depended on the warrior.

"Have you ever though about Exdeath's helmet? I mean really thought about it."

"Kefka, if you don't close that cavernous hole you call a mouth, I will step down from this throne and close it myself."

Of all the warriors that could have wandered into Pandaemonium. Of course they had to be Kefka.

" _Luck does not favor me this cycle_ ," he thought to himself. Perhaps now was a bad time to launch his revenge plot. Then again, if all went as he planned, he wouldn't actually be the one carrying out the revenge. Maybe that would help his odds.

"Why? Are you brooding?"

"Planning."

"As if there's a difference with you," he grumbled.

Every word frayed the Emperor's nerves. He could feel them unraveling one-by-one. His fists clenched so hard, his nails cut into his palms. "Do you want to be a part of this, or not?"

"I. don't. know," Kefka enunciated slowly, pointing each word in the air. "You. haven't. told. me. what. we're. doing."

"I'm trying to formulate the plan, but you find it convenient to distract me!"

Kefka crossed his arms and turned away, sticking his hooked nose in the air. "Well maybe if you concentrated better, I wouldn't bother you." He continued to grumble under his breath, and the Emperor figured that was the best he was going to get.

" _From the beginning, then_ ," he thought, taking a deep breath. " _I send Ultimecia, Exdeath, and Kefka after Rosa. Simple. Kefka and Exdeath will agree on principle of Chaos warriors destroying Cosmos warriors, but I need to offer Ultimecia a reward for her services to ensure she agrees. What could I offer that would maintain her interest_?"

A small prize, or a large prize? He supposed he had enough wiggle room in his plan that he could offer her a large prize from his larger scheme. His long-term one, to lord over the gods and over the cycle itself. Could that work? A piece of Time Compression in the world after this one?

He could suggest both. Suggest a small reward, perhaps a treasure. A Tome, or a relic of the Eidolons. If that didn't work, he could offer the large prize as a bargaining chip. Did the Emperor have a relic he was willing to give up from his collection?

"But Exdeath! Do you think he even has a face under there?"

He did have a swatch-

"I betcha five Gil he doesn't."

-of Shiva's veil-

"How much do you want to bet? Do you have a guess?"

"Kefka."

"Hmmmm?" he sang, raising the pitch to a level that rang in the Emperor's ears. He winced against it and rubbed the headache that just started in his temples.

He was looking for a reaction. He was looking for the Emperor to lose his sanity, to stoop to his level. He wouldn't oblige. "I know that you've set this special time aside to utterly ruin my entire day, but if you could perhaps . . . _refrain for five minutes_ , then maybe I won't rip your mouth from your face."

"But Emperorrrr," he purred, "you know I'm impatient." Like the Emperor was trying to tease him. Ugh.

Fine. If he couldn't get Kefka to shut up, then perhaps he could send Kefka out. " . . . Do you want me to tell you . . . faster?" The improper sentence rolled awkwardly off his tongue but Kefka understood him anyway, perking up like a puppy offered a treat. He nodded enthusiastically. "I need Ultimecia and Exdeath here as well. Go and fetch them, and the moment all three of you are here, I will indulge you."

"Yes! Aye-aye, cap-i-tan!" he said, saluting the Emperor before hopping up into the air and disappearing.

Gods, _finally_.

* * *

"What is it that you see in Rosa?" Warrior asked Cosmos.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you favor her, but why?"

"Warrior, can you not feel her power? She is incredibly strong, physically and magically."

Warrior frowned, looking away from Cosmos to stare at Rosa, chatting softly with Firion. "Hm. I can, but she is clumsy and inexperienced."

"So were you, until you gained your bearings in this world," Cosmos reminded him. She smiled fondly, at what Warrior could only guess was the memory of him awakening in this world next to her throne. "When she regains a bit of her memory, she will be a force to reckon with. On Baron she was formidable, both as a warrior at Cecil's side, and as a beautiful woman on his arm."

"That's right," he mumbled. "They are married." Warrior paused, then said, "I assume you believe her to be pivotal in breaking the cycle. Otherwise, the talents you so value are lost here." Cosmos blinked, lowering her eyes to the water in front of her, and Warrior received his response. "You did not think of that," he said to her. Not a question.

"I did consider it, but I need her magic. She has to stay alive here. You know that those who fall in the cycle are doomed to Purification. I need someone - a powerful White Mage - to keep our ranks healed and fighting within and between cycles. If we fall less, and are given multiple opportunities within a cycle, we can switch to the offensive, and I can begin to amass power again."

So Cosmos acknowledged what he'd been noticing for many cycles, now: she was only defending while Chaos' warriors attacked again and again. Warrior would never presume to know more than Cosmos regarding strategy in this world, but within his reason it was wasteful to only call warriors for damage control, rather than switching to the offensive.

If Chaos' warriors continued with their normal ferocity, this Rosa would be gone long before she ever had the chance to do the job Cosmos called her to do.

"Why do you not tell her of her role here?"

"I'd rather her grow comfortable first before I press knowledge of the cycle on her. And the pressure," she added, "of being the only White Mage charged with keeping all of her companions alive. Any failure after that would be a morale blow to the ranks and a personal blow to Rosa. Tell all of my warriors to keep it a secret. I don't want anyone telling Rosa or Bartz about the nature of the cycle yet. I will be the one to tell them, when the time is right."

Warrior looked down at Cosmos, and he saw immense sadness in her eyes, and a heaviness that seemed to deaden his own limbs as well. She was thinking of the worst case scenario - Rosa dying, and Cosmos' only hope of changing tactics dying with her. How could she not think of it, Warrior thought, if to win this cycle she needed blind luck, and blind faith that the person she gambled upon paid off?

Warrior vowed to keep his heart neutral, just as he did for all these past cycles. He had one duty, to Cosmos. Nothing more. Win or lose, Cosmos or Chaos, Rosa or no, he would protect her as well as he could until his dying breath.

* * *

So Zidane was alive. Zidane was alive, and what she saw was a manikin - a copy.

Rosa couldn't believe it. Of course she wanted to, desperately. She didn't want to think that Zidane, or any warrior in Cosmos' ranks, was dead. She even tried to repeat it over and over to herself to assuage her panic and dread. Unfortunately, it refused to take. The image of the dead crystal manikin was so vivid in her mind, and her worry was so potent, she knew that until the real Zidane walked through Sanctuary's barrier, she wouldn't be able to believe he was alive and well. The shreds of her doubt were too strong to ignore.

He was on patrol. When would he be back? After Rosa left Cosmos' throne, she asked Firion.

"Hello," she greeted him. He opened his mouth to reply but Rosa didn't give him the chance. "How long has Zidane been patrolling? When will he be back?" She didn't have the patience to idly chat.

"He left, ummm . . . " Firion trailed off. "Hey, Laguna, when did Zidane leave?"

The warrior with the blue jacket and brown pants turned towards them. "I don't know, like, a half hour ago? Probably." He shrugged. "Sorry, I wasn't watching when he left."

"No, it's fine," Rosa said. "The manikin encounter scared me. I'm anxious to know he's alright," she told them honestly. No reason to hide it. If they had any sort of similar encounter when they arrived here, they would understand.

Firion nodded quickly. "I get it. Then he'll be back soon. It takes anywhere between twenty and forty minutes to patrol the Isles depending on whether or not you encounter any trouble. Considering how many of us he took with him, even if he encounters trouble he'll be fine."

"Yeah," Laguna added. "Cosmos said he was okay, right?"

"She did," Rosa told him, "but I'd still like to see him." Verbal reassurance, from Cosmos and whoever else, wouldn't equate to seeing Zidane. They just didn't understand. "How often do we patrol?"

"There really isn't a 'night' time here in these worlds," Firion explained. "So we mark time by Sanctuary's shadow on the world below us. We send a patrol out every quarter-shadow, whether or not the first patrol returned. We don't send out more than two groups before one of them returns."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah. Though, once you've been here a while you tend to develop the 'feeling' of time in this place. I haven't checked the time in a while, but I can already tell we'll send out another group in ten minutes."

"Wow. You must have been here a long time."

"Me, I've been here . . . " he trailed off. His eyes circled around the air above her, clearly thinking it through. "Hmm . . . Not sure exactly," he finally settled on.

Rosa huffed out a breath. "Can anyone give me a definitive answer? Who's been here the longest?" she asked Firion.

"That, I don't know either. Probably Warrior, if I had to guess. Maybe you should ask Cosmos."

Rosa shook her head. "Cosmos doesn't seem too willing to answer questions right now. She sent me to speak to the rest of you. Which somewhat upsets me, but . . . I don't want to think about it."

"Maybe Cosmos thinks we'd be able to answer more specific questions. About the fighting," Firion suggested. Which made sense to Rosa, but still made her angry. Cosmos would know those specific things as well if she fought the battles every once in a while, and if Rosa had to guess, she probably didn't. Not with how weak she was.

"Maybe," Rosa mumbled, hoping to end the conversation. She stayed close to Firion but turned away from him, and stared out at the other warriors lounging around. Sanctuary was rather boring, she decided. Not much to do but sit around, or spar. She figured that patrols would be her saving grace for a while, since they were excuses to venture out and simply explore. With companions, this time, so she wouldn't have a repeat encounter with the Emperor or someone like him. She wasn't bored enough of Sanctuary yet to try another little adventure by herself. Not for a long while. Thinking back on it, the way he approached her and the way he spoke to her before he attacked . . . Rosa almost shuddered at the memory of it. With nothing else to do at the moment, and unwilling to speak to anyone else until Zidane arrived, Rosa decided to pass the time by looking at all the warriors and seeing how many names she remembered.

" _Warrior_ ," she thought, when her eyes roved over him. The horns on his helmet were incredibly identifying. His blue armor, and his physical imposition were as well. Plus, Rosa noticed, he never seemed to venture very far from Cosmos unless she asked him. He was beside her now, softly holding a conversation with her.

Of course she knew Firion. He favored roses as part of his dream. Plus, that bandana and odd hairstyle underneath made him incredibly memorable. Not including the fact that he was a one-man armory. Laguna, she had forgotten, but luckily Firion had said his name. She'd have to find some identifying feature to memorize about him to commit his name to memory.

He had a necklace on, that looked like two metal bars. They clinked together when he moved suddenly. Perhaps she could use that.

Tifa was easy to remember from her introductions. Rosa liked her upon meeting her. She had long, beautiful black hair tied only at the bottom, and a pleasantly smiling face. Rosa found her behind Cosmos' throne, talking animatedly to the man with striking blue eyes and alarmingly blond hair. What was his name . . . ? She couldn't recall.

Tifa was trying to corral another woman into the conversation, too. The one with curly blond hair who Rosa thought looked ready to burst into tears at any given moment. Terra. The women were easy to remember, since there were so few of them. Yuna was the summoner, with one blue eye and one green eye. Tidus had the kind of personality that demanded to be remembered, so of course Rosa could recall his name and face. Plus, he had one pant leg that was longer than the other and Rosa thought that was odd. One of the last warriors, off all by herself towards the edge of Sanctuary, was the pink-haired woman named Lightning.

" _Ah! Cloud_!" Rosa thought suddenly. " _The spike-haired man's name is Cloud_." There was a woman named Lightning, and a man named Cloud.

Rosa spun around slowly. Who else was there, besides Kain, not even in Sanctuary, and-

"Hi, Cecil," Firion said.

Rosa turned, and there he was. In his white and purple Paladin armor that seemed to glow with Sanctuary's light. Back just as straight and chin just as elevated as when he officially introduced himself to her.

"Firion," he said, nodding to him. "Rosa." He offered her his hand, pressing a swift kiss to her knuckles. Never breaking eye contact. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I was hoping to have a moment alone with Lady Rosa. Do you mind, Firion?"

"Oh! No, not at all! I'll leave you two alone. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, Rosa," he said, backing away from the two of them. Oh, gods. What could he possibly have to talk about, except to try and unintentionally pressure her into some sort of familiarity that just wasn't there? Rosa resolved right then and there that she would not feel pressured by him. She would not let him make her uncomfortable.

"You know," Rosa blurted out before he could speak. Assert herself. Get the first, firm word in. "I find your gravitation towards me somewhat . . . " Gods, now she couldn't find the word. Uncomfortable? No. But generally bold? Assuming? Brazen, invasive, considering he knew so much about her but she knew nothing about him?

He glued his eyes to the ground. "I . . . I know. I'm sorry. It is not my intention to make you uncomfortable."

" _Well, you are_ ," she wanted to say, but he already looked so downtrodden. She knew she couldn't destroy him like that when he wasn't doing it intentionally. " _Could be worse_ ," she thought to herself, already trying to rationalize it. "Hm," she snorted, adding, "better you than Kain, I suppose."

He looked up sharply. "What do you mean?" he asked, blinking his surprise and confusion at her.

"Before I left earlier, I had a memory return to me, remember? Kain was in it. I was bound, and I was lying on a metal floor. Golbez stood before me, and Kain bent down over me and smiled at me. But it was cruel," she said quickly. "It was the most empty and soulless smile I've ever seen. It scared me. Did Kain ever betray us?"

"Yes, but not of his own volition. I don't really . . . think it's for me to say," Cecil said carefully. His eyes flicked around, clearly thinking through his point and choosing his words carefully. "He went through many trials, so if you'd like to know, I would ask him. I'd rather him tell you himself than me say something poorly and potentially damage his honor and credibility. Kain is a man of honor, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to trust him with my life."

"But did he kidnap me?" Rosa wasn't in the mood to mince words. Not when something as significant to her as this occurred sometime in her life on Baron. Not when Kain was pretending that nothing was wrong here in this world - and, if she pegged Kain to be as malicious as she thought - taking advantage of the fact that she forgot.

"It was Golbez!" Cecil protested. "Rosa, I understand your wariness, but I promise you, whatever you think happened is not the whole story. He is self-conscious and very embarrassed of what happened. I don't want anyone blaming him more than he already blames himself, and making him feel worse. He is very dear to me, and I will not allow anyone to slander him."

Wow. Rosa didn't realize how much Cecil trusted Kain. She quickly relented, backing away from the conversation. "No, I'm sorry," Rosa said. "What I said was unfair. I didn't know it was Kain, but I made a terrible assumption."

"That's alright. Let's discuss something else," Cecil said, and his shifting eyes told Rosa how uncomfortable the conversation made him as well. "But anyway, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, at all, I just . . . I knew you, from before. I knew you from when we were in Baron together. We spent- a lot of time together." He hesitated on the last sentence, and Rosa looked up into his face, to try and read any sort of emotion there. She could see sadness - but it was always there, deeply buried in the back of his eyes every time he looked at her. Sadness, but also the softness of innocence and amiability. A small, soft smile. The way his eyes crinkled in genuine emotion at even the slightest show of it.

She'd seen that smile before.

"We were best friends," he added, and instantly, she was transported back to Baron, to her childhood:

 _CLANG._

 _The sound above them startled Rosa out of her concentration. She lifted her eyes from the book and glanced curiously at the stairs. "Archmagus, what was that?" she asked her teacher._

 _TCHINK!_

 _"Just some sparring, probably. Pay no attention, Lady Rosa. You must be able to keep your concentration if you hope to-"_

 _"Argh!"_

 _"Stop! Please!"_

 _Two mens' voices. Shouting and grunting. A clash so loud it set Rosa's ears ringing echoed through the halls of Baron Castle, down into the White Mages' training room. "That sounds like real fighting!" Rosa said, hopping from her stool. The white and red skirts she wore as a White Mage in-training pooled around her legs, and Rosa had to gather fistfulls of them to haul them over her feet._

 _"Lady Rosa, do not interfere-" her Archmagus tried to yell._

 _"They could hurt each other! We have to do something!" she yelled, running past the Archmagus and tripping up the stairs. Open and friendly combat was common among the men of Baron Castle - even encouraged. Disputes were normal, after all, and the King always insisted on settling them 'Ye Olde Fashioned Way', as he called it, but this fight sounded too vicious to be in fun. Weapons didn't clash so forcefully when the parties weren't aiming to harm._

 _As a future White Mage, she had a duty to ensure that neither man ended up in her care._

 _When Rosa reached the top of the stairs, she expected to see two men, fully grown and clad in armor, trading blow after experienced blow in the hopes of landing the fatal hit. Instead, when she hefted her skirts above the landing and raised her eyes, all she saw were two boys. Not much older than she was at ten, one boy with bright blond hair and the other with soft silver hair. She recognized the silver-haired boy; he was the King's ward. Orphaned as a baby and taken in by His Majesty as a favor to his mother._

 _The two of them rushed each other again, but it was clumsy and almost comical. The blond boy hefted a too-long, too-heavy spear behind him while the King's ward sported a short sword that he had to wield with both hands. They slammed their weapons together, and they bounced off each other and hit the ground with another harsh metal sound. The two paused, panting awfully, so Rosa took her chance. She ran forward and placed herself between them._

 _"Hey! That's enough! What are you two doing?!"_

 _The King's ward immediately relented, stepping away from the other boy and lowering his sword to the ground. She turned towards him, and he blinked in surprise at her. "S-sorry," he stammered. "Sorry, Lady Rosa." He bowed awkwardly to her._

 _He knew her name. Rosa's own surprise forced her back a step. "You know me, but I do not know you, except that you are the King's ward. Who are you?"_

 _He glanced into her eyes. Smiled that smile. A smile that crinkled his eyes, and seemed to brighten up the room around him with its genuineness. It lifted spirits - she could feel it in his energy and in his politeness. He completely disarmed her and stripped her of her anger, and she could only smile back, staring into his royal blue eyes. Silver hair. Cute face._

 _"Cecil Harvey, Lady Rosa."_

"Woah!" Rosa said. The memory seemed to strike her mind so hard, she felt the beginnings of a headache creep into her temples. "I just remembered something!" she blurted out, gently touching her hand to her head.

Cecil gasped. "What?" he asked, turning towards her. He lurched forward and grabbed her hands on impulse, overexcited for her. She almost pulled away, but realized that the motion didn't feel as unintentionally threatening as before. As though the memory brought with it a basic level of trust in Cecil she hadn't remembered before. He was so excited he even squeezed her hands.

"We were childhood friends! Right?" she said, asking him for confirmation. A wide smile split his cheeks, and he nodded so forcefully she thought his head would tumble from his neck. Joy and relief swept over Rosa, lifting enough weight off her shoulders that she felt lighter. Thank the gods. She remembered something about herself. A small piece about herself, but it was enough for her. A laugh bubbled up in her chest and tumbled out, and she grasped Cecil's hands in return. "We met when you were fighting with another boy-"

"With Kain!" Cecil said, practically vibrating with excitement. "We grew up together in the castle-"

 _Rosa tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the little sunspots that poked between the canopy of leaves warm tiny spots on her face. Was right then the best time to ask Cecil? Maybe she should save it for another time. Another day under the tree - tomorrow, when they would no doubt be there again, perhaps? Any other day when the afternoon sun wasn't the perfect temperature and the breeze wasn't so refreshing and there were more clouds in the sky._

 _No. She had to ask him, today. She had to open up the dialogue. "Cecil, may I ask you something?"_

 _"Of course."_

 _She dropped her head, but did not look at him. She didn't want to see what his reaction would be to her question. "Do you even like training to be a Dark Knight? Do you even want to be one?"_

 _"Yes, of course!" Cecil answered immediately. But Rosa knew him better than that. She knew after five years when his tone was genuine and when it wasn't. She could hear the uncharacteristic flatness that never bled into his normal, positive speech._

 _She threw the grass she was picking to the side and rolled towards him, resting her elbow on the ground and propping her head up with her hand. The hillside where they were laying was perfect for it. Outside of the Castle walls, where they could talk unheard, and uninterrupted. "Do you?"_

 _It was Cecil's turn to look away. " . . . There's nothing else I'd rather be doing with my time, or my skills," he said distantly, choosing his wording carefully. Rosa could tell that he meant what he said, but it upset her that he had to think of it in such a way. Having to word it exactly correctly so it wasn't false. That, to her, spoke volumes. "Plus, I owe a debt to His Majesty. He's never held it over me, not once. But I still feel I owe him something for taking me in the way that he did. Giving me the privileged life he has given me. If he wants me to be a Dark Knight, then I will be a Dark Knight. If he had asked me to be a Dragoon like Kain, then I would've been a Dragoon." He paused, and Rosa could see him thinking the entire situation through behind his blue eyes. "I think of His Majesty as my father, and he's treated me like a son. If he wants me to be a Dark Knight, who am I to question his judgment?"_

 _I'm not saying that because of His Majesty, as though he made the wrong choice. I'm just wondering if it's what you want. I don't want you to feel . . . " Rosa couldn't think of the right words. "Pressured," she decided on. Or, no, that was the wrong word. "No, not 'pressured', but obligated. I don't want you to feel obligated to do something you don't want to do-"_

 _"Rosa," he started, but she continued talking. She had to say what she was thinking._

 _"You're almost fifteen, so you'll be going to war soon under the Red Wings. I just want to make sure that you're doing what you want, because you could die. Do you understand that? I'm scared for you-" Cecil was already shaking his head. "-and I care too much about you to see you throw your life away over something you don't want to do. His Majesty would understand if you chose another path-"_

 _"Rosa, I'm not choosing another path! Death is the risk that any man takes. I'm nearly at the top of the ranks already, after only training for four years - about to be promoted to Captain! I truly am happy training as a Dark Knight. It is what I want to do. I'm extremely good at it, and I want to make His Majesty proud. I know you're scared. War is a scary thing. But my training and my skill will carry me through."_

 _"You're my best friend. I don't want you to go."_

 _"Don't worry. You're my best friend, too, Rose, and I wouldn't ever leave you. The Red Wings' campaigns are only weeks long now, instead of months. We'll see each other soon." He sat up, inching closer to her, and put his arm around her in a soft hug._

Rosa blinked, and Cecil was in front of her again. Not beside her. Not wide-eyed and small, but a confident man, holding her hands. Face bright with excitement. He'd grown up. A lot. She remembered that tree, the familiarity of that place and the feeling of the shade and the sun. She remembered the first time he took her there. "We always used to sit under a tree and talk. Just the two of us."

"That's right! But that wasn't the only secret spot we had. Do you remember the other one? The one that we shared with Kain?"

 _"Kain, wait!" Rosa called. "Slow down!"_

 _"You have to hurry, or we'll miss it!" Kain insisted. He did slow his pace, but his long legs, even though he was only twelve, still gave him an edge over Rosa. Together the two of them ran through the Baron town, so fast that the air made Rosa's eyes water, stinging against her face. Past the Inn and Item Shop, past Rosa's mother's home, and behind the armory. They came to a halt at what looked to be a solid wall of hedges. It blocked their view of what lay beyond, but Rosa could tell that it was the stream. She could hear the gentle babble of water._

 _"What are we doing back here? It's a dead end," Rosa said._

 _Kain just shook his head, and walked over to the wall of shrubs and hedges. He grabbed a section of them, and to her surprise they came away easily, opening up like a makeshift door. Behind it lay an old, broken and decrepit stone bridge that traveled across the stream. Kain grabbed her hand and led her a few steps across, but when a brick wobbled under her feet, she froze in panic._

 _"Here. Hold on to me," Kain said, looping her arm in his. He carefully led her across the rest of the way, tapping each brick to ensure his footing as well as hers. When they were finally across he kept her arm locked in his, and led her down a dirt path, and up a set of stone steps. Rosa looked around the small stone enclosure they were in, and realized they were at the top of the reservoir. The three waterfalls that pooled into the stream spilled in front of her, and the water's roar echoed off the stone._

 _"Oh, wow! This place is beautiful!" Rosa said, squinting and shielding her eyes against the glare of the sunset._

 _"Wait. That's not the best part." Kain let go of her and dropped to the ground, lying on his back and facing the water. "If you lay like this, the sun makes colors in the water."_

 _Rosa followed suit, and sure enough, as soon as she was level with the water, she caught the glints of an entire rainbow arcing over the foam and steam of the waterfalls. It was magnificent, a beautiful pool of color, and Rosa sighed in awe._

 _"Wow. This is amazing," she said. She looked over, and caught Kain staring at her._

 _"So are you," he muttered under his breath, but while looking at her. As though he didn't want her to hear it, but wanted her to know he was the one that said it. He offered her his hand, but she didn't want to take it. He dropped hints like that constantly, but she was already entertaining courtship from Cecil. She didn't enjoy his advances, subtle though they were. Caught in the middle of not knowing what to do, she started to shake her head before footsteps entered their enclosure._

 _"Hello!" Cecil said. "I see you showed Rosa the spot!"_

 _Relieved for the timely distraction, Rosa quickly stood and went over to Cecil, dragging him over next to her. "Come sit beside me and look at this!"_

Rosa returned to the present, and saw rainbow reflections in the water, just like in her memory. She gasped, believing for a split second that she was back home. Back near the waterfalls with Cecil right in front of her, holding her hands. But when she looked around in surprise, she realized it was Sanctuary's water, not the water of the Baron reservoir.

"Do you remember?" Cecil asked again. She almost forgot the question. Where they used to meet.

"The waterfalls! The three of us always used to go there and spend time together after we were finished with training for the day." They were only a few full conversations that she saw, but in her mind, there all of a sudden as if they had been there all along, were small snippets of other conversations. Hundreds and thousands of childish conversations. About new spells they made up, about what creatures could be on the moons, about anything and everything. Even a few fights that Rosa broke up between the two of them. Dragoons vs. Red Wings nonsense. When they got older, conversations about deeper subjects.

"Yes! The waterfalls! Rosa, I'm so happy!" he said, pulling her in. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, his warmth encircled her, and Rosa relaxed into his now familiar touch. He no longer felt foreign. He no longer felt like a complete stranger trying to win her trust. Instead, he felt like an old friend now. Already, she felt more complete. The holes in her heart were starting to fill, and she couldn't have been more happy. She lifted her own arms and curled them around him.

And just for a moment, everything felt right.

Cecil gasped like an exuberant child and pulled away, holding her at arm's length. "We need to spar with each other, too!"

"Spar? Why?"

"It may bring back some more memories!"

"But Cosmos said that doing battle with an adversary would bring back memories."

Cecil nodded quickly. "That is true, and battling Golbez probably would bring back the most memories," he said, "but doing battle in general can help as well. Especially if it's with someone you are familiar with. Would you like to try?"

If it meant bringing back more memories, she was ready to try anything. She wanted to know more about herself. She wanted to know more about Baron and about him and about Kain. She wanted to fill in every gap at once, and just be Rosa Joanna Farrell.

"Absolutely-" Wait. In Rosa's excitement, she very nearly forgot what was making her so anxious before. She still needed to see Zidane. Back from patrols in less than ten minutes. The nerves she felt before didn't compare to her happiness now. She almost thought about abandoning her search for the real Zidane, unwilling to return to that scary and dark moment.

Ten minutes. Talk to Zidane, and then spar with Cecil. She could wait, she decided.

"Oh. Umm," she said. "Wait. I still want to see Zidane. Can we wait for him?"

"Of course," Cecil said.

"I just want to talk to him for a moment or two. It won't take long at all."

"It's fine! Just let me know as soon as you're ready."

"I have . . . a lot of questions in the meantime."


	15. Chapter 15

Twenty minutes went by.

Thirty minutes.

Thirty five.

Did Kefka even deliver his summons to them? Were they ignoring him?

Or worse, were they mocking him?

Of course they were, the Emperor thought bitterly, and the realization weighed down on his shoulders like lead, pressing him into the throne. They were probably laughing around Ultimecia's castle. Kefka was probably throwing himself around the room, howling, while she told them of what Rosa did to him. How she humiliated him. She probably told them how she had to rip the arrows from his chest, one by one.

And he could do nothing about it.

He needed them. If he attacked them, or threatened them, they would not agree to his plans. And he would be stuck doing all of the dirty work himself. Though confident in his abilities, it was the time frame that frightened him. The longer it took him, the longer Chaos had to amass more power. And then the ultimate goal would be that much harder to achieve.

The Emperor hated being indebted to people. Debt was a snare - for those who set it, an asset and fail-safe leverage tool. For those who ended up trapped, a death wish. For once in his life, his plans depended on people. He would not be indebted to them any more than-

 _Whoosh_. The Emperor scrambled to sit up straight in his throne, thinking that Exdeath, or perhaps even Ultimecia, had decided to show. Instead, the gaudy purple of Kefka's face paint grinned up at him.

"Hello!" Kefka yelled, waving with his arm straight out.

Ugh. Of course. Well, at least he didn't come alone. Ultimecia and Exdeath were probably right behind him. The Emperor waited for them to follow.

And waited. And waited.

"Well?" he asked Kefka. His deranged smile dropped as much as it could, and his eyes flicked to the side once.

"Well what?" he asked back.

"Well?!" the Emperor asked again, sweeping his arm to the side to gesture wildly to the otherwise empty room around them. "Where are they?"

" _Pfft_!" Kefka snorted, shoulders shrugging so high they nearly touched his ears. "How should I know? I gave them the message, and then I left!"

The Emperor had to make a conscious effort to unclench his jaw. It didn't work. "I don't like to be kept waiting," he growled through his teeth.

"How is that my fault? Maybe they don't like you that much. Or, I know: maybe next time you should get off your butt and gather them yourself!" Kefka's voice grew louder and louder until he screamed the last word.

A headache sprouted above his brow, so the Emperor pinched the bridge of his nose to ward it off. "I gave you one task. One measly task: fetch the others. And you failed, even at that. How . . . _dense_ can you be?"

Kefka scoffed, throwing a dramatic hand over his chest. "Dense? Well ex- _cuuuuuuuse_ me! I was told to go and tell them that you needed them here so you could reveal your 'very important plan!'" he said, putting it in air quotes.

"No, you stupid clown! You were told to _bring_ them here!" he yelled back, emphasizing the word.

Kefka stared, mouth open, eyes flicking above the Emperor as he mapped out the conversation in his head. "Oh," he finally settled on.

'Oh.' That was all he had to say. 'Oh.'

And he was one of the people the Emperor was depending on for his plans? He silently cursed his serious error in judgment, but he knew there was nothing else he could do. He needed someone who would destroy without question. Even if that someone was psychotic.

"No matter," he said, sighing out the rest of his frustrations. "We will have to wait here for them. And if they do not come, we will have to go search for them." This delay was Kefka's fault. "You obnoxious clown," he tacked on to the end.

The Emperor thought Kefka would take offense again, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Kefka tossed his head back and cackled, so hard his feet lifted and he floated several inches in the air. "'Obnoxious', he says!" Kefka yelled, as though to a crowd. "I believe that was one of the adjectives Chaos used when he tossed you into the wall! Aaaaahahahaha . . . "

"Silence-!" the Emperor yelled, but he barely finished the word before the violent memory assaulted him. At the very mention of Chaos' attack on him, he felt it, all over again. His sight went black. His limbs went cold and dead and the ringing in his ears wouldn't go away. He felt himself being picked up, still blind and disoriented, and thrown against the wall. The Emperor's breath hitched as his chest collapsed in the memory. His breath stopped - everything stopped - as he struggled to regain himself.

He opened his eyes and found he could breathe again. He gasped, taking in as much air as possible, but the motions pulled at the still-healing wounds on his side and chest. He winced before he could help it, clutching at his ribs to steady himself as best he could. Suffering while Kefka cackled. His cheeks heated in humiliation. Of course Chaos attacked him in front of the others. Of course he was made to look weak in front of Ultimecia.

And then Rosa. He wasn't going to think about her. He wasn't going to think about how she refused his advances and humiliated him, and he wasn't going to think about how she cut his cheek with a well-placed shot that he barely managed to dodge. He wasn't going to think about how, in a momentary burst of raw power, she shot him five times in the chest and stabbed him in the side and very nearly shot a Holy-infused arrow into his throat.

A rage bubbled up inside the Emperor, so potent that his fists clenched and shook, claws cutting into his palms. His heart caught fire in his chest, pumping harder and harder, nearly beating out of his chest. The heat rose in his cheeks and his jaw clenched, so hard his teeth ground together.

"Awwww, you look upset! What's wrong, Emperor? Still trying to nurse that bruise your ego took earlier-?"

Rosa. _Rosa Farrell_.

The Emperor called his power, lifting his staff, and hurled it as hard as he could towards Kefka. Aiming the little metal ball for his teeth. It was inches away from connecting, before a harsh, throaty laugh resonated through the top floor of Pandaemonium, so loud it set the crystal crops rumbling. Kefka ducked from the sound instinctually, and the Emperor's staff sailed harmlessly overtop of his head. It grazed the feathers of his hairpiece, then clattered lamely off the floor.

"Mwaaaaaaahahahahaha!" Exdeath. So Exdeath decided to show. His relief at the thought of intelligent company distracted him from Kefka. He gathered himself, sighing out the rest of his emotion, and called his staff back. He attempted to act causal, twirling it with his fingers next to the throne. The air in front of him wobbled, like heat lines, and Exdeath materialized there next to Kefka.

"Deathy!-" Kefka yelled, but Exdeath cut him off with a raise of his hand.

"How amusing," Exdeath rumbled. "I rather wish the blow would have connected, Emperor." The Emperor stared at him in confusion, before realizing he was referring to his attack on Kefka. He let himself smirk, nodding his agreement, before Exdeath continued. "Such feeble mortals. You argue and squabble as though your quarrels possess any meaning in this world. Or in the Void," he added, and the Emperor felt that if he could have shaken his head, he would have.

"I suppose you presume your own quarrels have value, hm?" the Emperor asked. It was a tactic he learned while in this world. Find out what others' levels of self-importance were. If played into, those sentiments could be used to properly word a proposition, and make it the most appealing it could possibly be to that particular person.

Exdeath chortled in reply. "No more value than yours, Emperor."

Hm. Not an answer of value. So Exdeath didn't believe the Emperor to be worth his time. No matter. He could change his mind.

"To what do I owe this . . . assembly?" Exdeath asked. "Surely you do not intend to involve me in some petty scheme. Was Chaos' little threat not enough for you? Ohohoho!" he laughed, throwing his whole back and shoulders into it.

Every mention of Chaos' attack dug under the Emperor's skin. Exdeath's delivery was condescension in the most smug tone possible, carried with an air of superiority to remind him that Exdeath held no respect for him or his plans whatsoever.

The Emperor would have to be extremely careful.

He held eye contact with the slit in Exdeath's helmet, where he assumed his eyes were. He hoped to keep his expression as neutral as possible, to show Exdeath that his comments held no sway over him."I was hoping Ultimecia would be here. I have a . . . business proposition for you. All three of you."

"Hmph! 'Business'," Exdeath echoed. "What manner of business?"

"Ultimecia-" he started, but her cat-like purr filled the air, echoing around them.

"-is right here," she finished for him. She appeared beside Exdeath, stepping out of a pocket of darkness. "My, you're desperate to see us. This had better be a plan worth our time."

"I can assure you, it will be worth your time. I have . . . payment."

"Of what nature?"

"Don't you think you should hear the proposal first?" he asked her. He didn't want to give the prize away first. Otherwise, the two of them might form their own ideas of the difficulty of his task, and refuse before he even offered it to them.

"I suppose we should," Ultimecia said. "I'm terribly curious."

The Emperor nodded. "As you know, when one god's warriors fall, they receive Purification and return for the next cycle. Is that not so?"

"It is," Exdeath said.

"I need someone taken care of. A Cosmos warrior."

Ultimecia's lips twitched in a haughty smile, but for whatever reason, she contained it. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and let a knowing look glint in her eyes. Of course she knew who he was referring to. But just to rub it in, she asked, "Anyone in particular?"

"Yes. A new warrior, called only days ago. Rosa Farrell."

"What quarrels have you with a days-old warrior?" Exdeath asked. "Or does your cowardice in preying upon the weak know no bounds?"

"This has nothing to do with cowardice!" the Emperor hissed. "Call it . . . a grudge. Regardless, I want her dealt with. I want her destroyed so thoroughly, she won't be able to return to the cycle."

"I'm in!" Kefka yelled, throwing his hand in the air.

"This warrior . . . she is from your world?" Exdeath asked.

"No, she is not."

"Then I ask again - what quarrels could you possibly have with a days-old warrior?"

"My quarrels are neither of importance nor relevance! All I need for you to do is to destroy her. Make use of your role as the enforcer of Chaos' will."

"Oh yeah!" Kefka interjected. "I forgot that you're the expert on Chaos' will, Emperor."

"Be silent, or be gone, fool!" he snarled, pointing at Kefka. "You've heard my offer, and now have no more reason to be here!"

Kefka sneered in reply, grumbling under his breath. The Emperor swore he heard him say something about 'making him wait for something like this'. Finally, Kefka let out a big, dramatic sigh. "Well fine! Whatever. I'm in!"

The Emperor nodded his approval. It wouldn't do to show them he was anything other than in control, despite his attack on Kefka earlier. "In return, I offer everything you could desire from this world. I offer you, Exdeath, the chance to let a warrior sink into the Void you so desperately revere. Kefka, I offer you the chance to destroy, unrestricted. You can do with her as you wish."

Exdeath stared, unmoving, at the Emperor, and he resisted the urge to look away. He felt like Exdeath was staring into his soul, and it was incredibly awkward and jarring. The Emperor generally considered himself a master of deceit. He knew how to spin words like thread, and weave together the best of utterances. He knew how to calculate his body language, and he could turn the smallest gesture into the largest effect. A well-placed smirk. A slight quirk of his eyebrows.

That was the norm, but he couldn't see Exdeath's eyes. He had no idea if Exdeath believed him in the slightest, or had any interest whatsoever despite the smoothness of his sales pitch. After what seemed like forever, Exdeath answered him.

"I . . . also accept your offer. I suppose it is of no larger effort to me to see this warrior destroyed. She would, no doubt, fade in time." Without another word, Exdeath disappeared. That was two warriors down.

Kefka quickly followed suit, offering the Emperor a mock salute. "Goodbye, Superiority Complex!" he said, and disappeared as well.

Ultimecia waited for a long while, staring hard at the Emperor. Probably waiting for him to give something away, he realized. He stood just as still as her, staring her down before she spoke. "And me?" she asked. "What could you possibly have that would interest me?"

"I'm glad the others have left. I meant to speak to you about it privately. I have a number of relics of the Eidolons-"

"Worthless," she said, crossing her arms and turning away.

"A swatch of Shiva's veil? Worthless? I hardly think so. Monetarily, it is a tremendous prize."

"I have no use for the item, or the Gil it could earn me, and so to me it is worthless. You'll have to do much better than that."

Time to break out the large prize, then.

"Time Compression. On this world." Her eyes flared. He celebrated his small victory, at having garnered her attention. "I am planning something big. The details are not yet worked out, but my ultimate goal is to destroy Cosmos and Chaos both. That will create a certain . . . power vacuum, if you will. I had every intention of saving all of the spoils of this world for myself, taking the gods' places and amassing power, but if that is the payment you'll require, I will allow you to share in the world after these gods. We can split it equally between the two of us, and you can do whatever you'd like - be it destruction, be it Time Compression, be it anything - with your half. Time Compression still is your goal, is it not?" The Emperor already knew that it was.

Ultimecia crossed her arms again and narrowed her eyes at him, no doubt in distrust. She was not simple. She knew he was hiding something. She knew that wasn't the whole story, but the Emperor already told her that he himself didn't have all the details.

She didn't know that he told her that on purpose.

"And you'll reward me all of that, just to kill Rosa?" Ultimecia laughed, and the tinkling sound of it seemed to hang in the air over the Emperor. He kept his face as hard as he could, as still and as resolute against her taunting as possible. He couldn't let her know she was able to get under his skin so easily. "She made a lasting impression, didn't she?" The Emperor said nothing, and waited for her to have her fun so he could hear her answer. "Hm. I'll join, I suppose. But don't think for a minute that I don't know that you're hiding something from me. Even more than what you said here. I may not know what it is, yet, but believe me, I'll sniff it out." Her condescending sneer dropped into a frozen glare before she disappeared.

"Wait!" he yelled, before she completely faded from Pandaemonium. He thought she hadn't heard, but she returned, still with that frosty edge to her eyes. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you threaten me. I reserve the power to retract my offer at any point - even after Rosa is dead."

Ultimecia scoffed, blinking her surprise. "And I reserve the right to refuse to go on your little revenge tangent! You actually admit to not keeping your word?!" she asked incredulously. "Don't forget that you're the one asking me for help!"

"Don't mock me, witch! I want her dead! Ensure that it happens, and you will be given all that you were promised!"

"I don't believe you," she answered coldly. "I'll do it, but not for you. With Rosa gone, that is one less obstacle to my own goals. Your own be damned," she spat. She disappeared again, and the Emperor knew that even if he wanted to get the last word in she wouldn't have returned.

He hated having to bet so much on her and the others. After all, none of them trusted each other, which left him a minuscule amount of room to act without scrutiny. But, his plans were already in place. By the time they realized he would be excluding them from their prizes, he would have already crushed Chaos, Cosmos, and them. Crushed them like the vermin they were.

Of course, he was betting much on speculation. He wasn't sure if destroying the gods was possible without breaking the cycle. They could return as though nothing changed. His team of destroyers could fall, or betray him. Regardless, the Emperor was ready to try. He was ready to be feared. Cowered before. He was ready for absolute power.

He was ready to become the new god of this world.

They all would bow to him.

He returned to the throne and sat down, idly drumming his fingers on the arm rest while he thought through his entire plan again. " _Soon, very soon_."

* * *

 _ **Don't forget to leave a comment if you have the time!**_

 _ **How's this chapter? Was it in-character? This is the first chapter that I HEAVILY deviated from my own source material - the old version - and wrote a lot from scratch, so let me know!**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone who left comments and kudos! :)**_

 _ **~Keyblader**_


	16. Chapter 16

"There he is, Rose," Cecil said, pointing over her shoulder.

'Rose.' The nickname sounded odd and too intimate for her ears, but her need to see Zidane quieted down the protest. Rosa turned and sure enough, Zidane was strolling through Sanctuary's barrier like he didn't have a care in the world. He had his hands clasped behind his head, and his tail swung low, close to the water. No purple crystal anywhere. No lifeless eyes. No holes in his chest. Not in any immediate danger. All the tension she felt rushed out of her, and Rosa found the reassurance she was looking for, knowing Zidane was alive and seeing him with her own eyes.

"Thank the gods," she breathed. "I feel so relieved. I thought he was dead," she told him, and Cecil nodded his understanding.

"Of course. No one warned you about the manikins, and they are . . . jarring . . . at first."

"Hm. 'Jarring,'" Rosa repeated. Rosa wondered what her own manikin would look like. Would her crystal be purple, like Zidane's? What would she see in her own dull and empty eyes? " _Imagine seeing a manikin of yourself, with no warning_ ," Rosa suddenly thought. She thought she was upset before. She couldn't imagine the kind of panic she would have felt if she ran into herself.

Behind him came Bartz, Squall, the Onion Knight, and Vaan, just like Cosmos said before. So Cosmos could tell the locations of all of her warriors at any given moment, and yet she had no concept of the fighting? Rosa inwardly scoffed as another feeling of irritation rose up inside of her. Irritation at being passed around to the other warriors to get answers to her questions.

Perhaps she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe Cosmos kept tabs on her warriors from afar, and that was why she stayed out of the fighting.

"Are you satisfied?" Cecil asked, and Rosa nodded back.

"Yes," she answered honestly, and sighed out all of her frustration. "Yes, I am. That was scary." She thought of the dead manikin again, and couldn't stop the shudder from trickling down her back.

"I'm sure it was," Cecil said, "but now you know about the manikins. Right? You can turn this into a learning experience. And the bright side is that Zidane is alive."

Rosa looked into Cecil's eyes, which always seemed to have a spark of child-like wonder in them. A base-level of innocence and amiability. He was always positive, and always seeing the best in everything. At least, that's what she had learned from her short time around him. She tried to imagine his eyes without that glint. She tried to picture what they would look like, glossed over and dead. "What does your manikin look like?" she asked him, since the thoughts had her wondering. "Have you seen yourself?"

"I have. My manikin is white - all white - when in Paladin form. When it is a Dark Knight, it is some shade of purple. Or perhaps a navy."

"So your manikin can switch freely between the two jobs as well?"

"Yes. Manikins possess all of the abilities that we possess."

"If you kill your manikin, will it come back?" Rosa asked. "Will I see that Zidane manikin creeping around Sanctuary again?"

Cecil paused to think, but Rosa could tell it was not the careful sort of thinking she knew him to be capable of. Not a, 'I need to watch what I say here', kind of thinking, it was a, 'How do I explain this?' kind of thinking. "Manikins . . . " he began, "Manikins are never-ending. The world simply makes them, at random we assume, and continues to make them. You will not see that particular manikin any more, but you may see another copy of Zidane that the world has made lurking about."

"Oh," she said, unable to think of anything else. "Why? Where do they come from?" she asked, half-expecting him to be unable to answer just based on her general luck.

"There is a place somewhere, on the outskirts of a very far gateway, that contains a dimensional fracture. They spill forth from there." He paused, then added, "At least, that's how I had it explained to me."

"Who told you? Maybe I could ask them to tell me."

"Warrior did, a while ago. But he told me he received the information from Cosmos after his own encounter with them."

"Oh. Of course," Rosa said. The trail, once again, ended at Cosmos. "Why are they being made? Why do they look like us?"

"That, I do not know," Cecil said. "Nobody knows, really. Not even Cosmos. After a while, though, you don't question it. Because in the end, it doesn't matter. They are just something else trying to kill you."

Rosa realized that Cosmos' warriors not only had Chaos warriors to worry about, but also manikins - which spilled forth from a broken part of this world for no particular reason. No reason other than the universe's arbitrary decision to make and dump them. And they carried a bloodlust for no reason, other than the universe's arbitrary decision to make them want to kill Cosmos warriors. "So they're volatile," she said. She never actually encountered a live one yet.

"Yes. They will attack, and attack until defeated. Or until you are defeated."

"And everyone has one?" she asked. At his nod, she asked, "Does Cosmos?"

"No. Cosmos and Chaos do not have manikins. But Chaos' warriors have copies of their own."

"Oh! Well, at least they have to deal with them too," Rosa offered. "We aren't the only ones with an added burden-"

"No. They do not attack Chaos warriors."

" . . . What?"

"They do not attack Chaos warriors. Chaos warriors can summon them at will."

" . . . That makes no sense. Chaos must have created them, then!"

"We don't know. All we know is that they creep into this world from the fissure and attack Harmony's ranks. But like I said, in the end it really doesn't matter. All you have to do is stay alive. Defeat the manikins, defeat the Chaos warriors, and stay alive."

Rosa supposed he was right. Did it really matter that much to her what form the threats took? Did it really matter in this instance where the threats came from? She shrugged her concession, and decided it was time to change the subject anyway. She could quiz him later. "How about that sparring match?" Now that the Zidane fiasco was settled, she had a chance to regain huge chunks of her memories that were missing.

Cecil's face lit up in a wide smile. "Absolutely!" he said, nodding eagerly. "Let's get someone . . . Bartz!" he called, and when his head perked up, Cecil beckoned him over.

"Why do we need Bartz?" Rosa asked, but Cecil only smiled knowingly at her. Bartz finished his conversation with Zidane and quickly crossed the distance to the two of them, jogging with a happy bounce in his step.

"Hey! What's up?" he asked.

"Rosa and I were just preparing to spar. We need a referee. Would you be so kind?"

"Yeah, sure!"

"Thank you. You've never seen the two of us spar before, so you will be an impartial judge. Also, this is a good chance to really watch both of us, so you can copy our skills."

"Oh, right!" Rosa said. "You're a Mime!"

"Yep!" he said, pointing finger-guns at her. "Good idea. Thanks, Cecil!"

"Thank you for agreeing. Follow me," he said, leading the two of them to the center of Sanctuary, towards Cosmos' throne. "The rules of sparring are simple. Keep it clean, and keep it safe. All of the weapons, skills, and powers you naturally possess are at your disposal. You may use anything, at any time - but in a fair, and honorable way. No trickery, or dishonorable action. It won't be an issue," he said, turning to Bartz, "but if you see something, don't hesitate to call it out."

"You got it."

"And never aim to seriously injure your opponent. Sometimes matches can get intense, but they should never grow angry enough to bring us to harm each other. We're all friends, first and foremost, but we also don't have the supplies or the time to continuously heal each other if we're injured. Make sense?"

"Yes. Keep it clean, and keep it safe," Rosa repeated. Despite her excitement earlier, she could feel knots beginning to twist in her stomach. It was only a casual fight but a fight nonetheless. The same sensations she remembered from her fight with the Emperor threatened to overtake her.

Breathing in short gasps, unable to catch her breath. Adrenaline, sharpening her senses. Fighting the urge to run.

Fear. Anger.

Pain-

"Right," Cecil said, pulling Rosa back to the present. She took as deep a breath as she could muster, and tried to huff out the rest of her tension. Why was she so nervous? Cecil turned and looked out at all the other warriors gathered in Sanctuary, and Rosa followed suit. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Sparring match!" he yelled out as loud as he could. "Clear the field!"

Warriors got quiet. Heads snapped in their direction, looking to see who was going to fight, and an energized intensity rippled through the people in Sanctuary. Rosa could feel its energy, but all it did was electrify her already frayed nerves. Her heart dropped into her stomach, rolling with her building nerves, as she realized that all of them would be watching her. When they saw it was her, Rosa detected a mix of everything in their eyes and faces: interest in the new warrior and what her skills would be. Expectations of her strengths. Skepticism, just in case she didn't turn out how they expected her to. And something else Rosa couldn't place, as she saw eyes flick between her and Cecil, her and Cecil. She felt like an animal, on display for their watching.

All together, they made their ways to the edge of Sanctuary, lining along the barrier. Giving her and Cecil all the space they needed. Even Cosmos gave the two of them a soft nod before disappearing in a flash of light. She reappeared next to Warrior. Cecil reached out for her hand and she obliged, feeling her hand shake as she pressed it into his. She prayed he didn't notice, but he must have, because he hesitated just long enough to give her hand a small squeeze. "Don't be nervous. It's a small sparring match - just to see if you remember anything. Good luck, my lady," he said, and he brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss.

Her heart started to beat out of her chest. Her breath felt ragged and out of control. What if she lost? What if she looked silly in front of everyone? What if they thought she wasn't skilled?-

A loud _shring_!, and a flash of light, and Cecil's purple and yellow spear was in his hands. Rosa cursed softly. Weapon, she needed a _weapon_. She pictured her bow, holding out her trembling hand, and willed it into existence until she felt it press into her hand. She felt like it took her forever to drag an arrow from the quiver, and she almost dropped a few as they tumbled out with the one she selected. Her fingers felt cold, numb. Clumsy and unpracticed.

"Okay! Ummm, at the ready!" Bartz yelled, putting his arm up.

Rosa nocked the arrow, and held her bow down in a low ready position. She watched as Cecil's back straightened. His arm came up, held across his chest, with his spear behind him. Poised and elegant. Confident. It only made Rosa even more nervous.

They waited for Bartz's mark in the dead silence.

"Don't go easy on him, Rosa!" Zidane yelled, earning a muffled chuckle out of everyone.

Zidane was rooting for her, at least.

She was unprepared, and she knew it. A brief thought of 'Maybe I should back out,' crossed her mind.

Too late. Bartz took one last look at both sides. "Ready, set, GO!"

Cecil's weight rocked forwards, and Rosa's nerves jolted. She flinched before he could even take a step. In a second her bow was up, aiming for his chest. The motions were so natural to her, and at the same time they felt so foreign. She knew the arrow would fly true. She knew she sighted it perfectly. She didn't know how she did it. She didn't even know how she knew. But she knew.

At the last second, she hesitated. " _Don't aim to injure_ ," she told herself. She purposefully lifted her bow, aiming somewhere random over his head.

By then, he had stepped towards her. She let the string slip through her fingers and Cecil didn't even break stride, didn't even have to duck. He knew the shot was too high. Still, though, he paused after the arrow sailed and slowed down to a standstill, lowering his spear.

"Don't overthink it!" he yelled to her. "And don't hold back! Fight as you normally would! We know when to yield. You won't hurt me." He flourished his spear, twirling it around his hand before standing at the ready again. He waited another second, giving Rosa a chance to draw and nock another arrow, before he ran forward again.

This time, she drew and aimed high on his chest, determined to let it fly as it would. She allowed him to draw nearer, waiting for him to get as close as he would before firing. He closed the distance, running at her in a dead sprint. He ate up the distance so quickly she nearly missed the opportunity she was giving herself.

He must have realized her play. When he saw she wasn't shooting he tried to stop, but his feet skid in the water of Sanctuary. Cecil's arms pinwheeled and he tried to change directions. She waited. Waited for the perfect moment while he was off-balance. Waited for his most defenseless point.

 _Rosa waited._

 _Rosa waited until the light of the two moons shone through her window. She waited until the little square-shaped moonbeams sat right in the center of her floor. By their location, it was two in the morning._

 _Time to get out._

Rosa returned to the present, with her bow still held at full-draw and with Cecil still staggered and off-balance. As though no time had passed at all. More out of surprise than purpose, she loosed the arrow. It careened towards him, so fast that Rosa's eyes lost track of it. Despite being so close, Cecil threw his arm to the side and deflected it with his bracer.

She went for another arrow at her hip, but Cecil bore down on her. He closed the distance too quickly, and she didn't have time to even pull the arrow before he was swinging at her. The blade of his spear glowed pure white as he tried a weak, one-handed swing at her middle. Rosa shoved her bow between the two of them, and his blade _thwacked_ against the wood, jarring up her arms.

She was expecting him to pull away and take another swing at her, but instead he planted his feet and pressed into the block, putting all his power behind his arm. He brought his other hand up and pushed down on his spear too, so hard that Rosa's arms nearly buckled. If she fell, she'd be defenseless. She wouldn't let it be over that quickly. She planted her own feet and pressed back.

"You hesitated," he said. "Did you remember something?" His eyes were alight with something genuine and happy. He probably loved watching her remember something about their shared past. Especially since he seemed to know her so personally.

"Y-yes, something small," she stammered. "I ran away," she told him. "Or, I left the castle, or something." At least, that was the feeling she had from it. She could feel the purpose in her heart, and the nervousness of getting caught.

"To follow me," he confirmed, voice tight from holding the press. "After I was sent away to-"

 _Mist Village._

 _"Your Majesty, why have you sent Captain Cecil to Mist Village?" Rosa asked as she dropped to a knee. "He has just returned! Why are you sending him away again?"_

 _"Cecil," he snarled, so loud and so nasty that Rosa flinched, "is no longer a Captain, and he is no longer in command of the Red Wings! He has been stripped of his rank and all of his honor! He should be executed for treason." The King paused. "But I, in my immense generosity, have instead sent him on a delivery to Mist Village."_

"You always had a bit of a stubborn streak in you! Much to the chagrin of my nerves," Cecil continued. "If you need a moment, I will yield." Cecil broke the block, pushing Rosa's bow, and all of her weight, to the side. She stumbled past him and spun around ready to re-engage, but Cecil stepped away from her, arms up in a gesture of peace.

Rosa quickly shook her head. She wanted more memories. She wanted more pieces to connect. The fact that they were returning, no matter how small and insignificant they seemed, was relieving and exciting to her. "No. I'm fine. Let's go," she said, fingers twitching against the plumage of the arrows at her hip.

"As you wish," he said, smiling sweetly at her in a way that was so completely . . . gentle and proper and Cecil that it drew a small smile from her as well. It looked to her like there was even a bit of . . . affection. Could she say that? She didn't know if she should. To even think it registered something hesitant inside of her heart. Why should she think that it was affectionate? He was drawn to her, true, but she thought of him as nothing more than a helpful comrade at this point. And there was no reason to-

She cut herself off. " _Don't flatter yourself, Rosa_."

"You guys want me to reset you?" Bartz asked.

"No!" Rosa said, a little too quickly. "We'll start from here. Ready?" she asked Cecil.

"Ready. By your mark, Bartz."

Bartz put his hand up again, and Rosa quickly surveyed her surroundings. Sanctuary had a barrier that was almost the same as the one where she fought the Emperor. If she had to, she could use it to jump or run away. She could also use it to gain height over him if she needed it. There were crops of white stone - natural barriers all around. She could use them for cover to shoot from or heal herself.

Cosmos' throne could also act as an obstacle, if she managed to maneuver him to one side and her to another. And, she saw, there were blueish-green ribbons that arched all above and around them. They matched the red ones that were in the room where she fought the Emperor. She didn't know what they were, or how to use them-

"Go!" Bartz said, throwing his arm down.

On instinct, Rosa pulled four arrows at once. She nocked the first one and held the shafts of the rest between the last fingers of her draw hand. She drew and shot at Cecil again, before he even had time to step. Rosa didn't wait to see if he deflected it before she had the next arrow in her hand prepped and sailing. She shot the third and the fourth within seconds and snatched another cluster of four from her quiver. As she loosed the next round, she began to slowly circle him, hoping he wouldn't notice the change of angle while he was blocking.

He hadn't so much as moved from his spot. The arrows were coming too fast, and she had him pinned down. She figured she could hold him there indefinitely until she came up with something new to do, and she felt a surge of pride rise up within her. Rosa was holding out longer than she honestly expected herself to, and she hoped the others around her were pleasantly surprised. At least she hadn't done anything to embarrass herself, yet.

The arrows were gone before she was even done thinking, so she grabbed another bunch and continued to shoot, one right after the other. Rosa didn't expect him to do anything other than stand there, so when Cecil dove and rolled to the side, she was caught off-guard. Rosa was forced to pause and aim at his new position.

Cecil completed his roll, landing in a crouch, and right as Rosa drew to fire again, he popped up, jumping a few inches off the ground. He threw his fist up in the air, and when he gently opened his hand, it was like he clasped a small light. The light pulsed, flashing white.

Right in front of her, from thin air, another light appeared and pulsed, so bright that Rosa flinched away from it to shield her eyes.. It fanned out into a sigil, spinning inside of itself. Rosa didn't have time to react before a white laser shot out from it. It launched and collided gently with her shoulder, knocking her left shoulder back. She staggered and caught herself, but another laser connected just above her opposite collar bone, knocking her around the other way. She eked out a small squeak of surprise, her legs tangled, and she toppled to the floor as the last laser shot above her, where she had been standing a second ago. She staggered to her feet, momentarily forgetting to be aware of her surroundings.

So much for not embarrassing herself.

She didn't notice that Cecil had dashed towards her. Something flat and metal - the flat of his spear blade - slapped into her back so hard, her head whipped back and she saw stars. A sting like no other erupted across her shoulder blades where he hit her, burrowing deep in her skin, and she screamed in pain. Cecil pulled up on the blade and lifted Rosa off her feet, and she froze, winded, for she didn't know how long. Gravity started to pull her down towards the floor but Cecil's blade slammed down vertically across her back and threw her to the floor.

She crashed to the ground, landing on her stomach so hard that she rebounded off the floor and landed again. Her chest collapsed, her breath left her. She tried to suck air in but her chest refused to expand, and panic set in, even more potent than the pain as she realized she couldn't breathe. A small squeak crawled from her throat as she tried to pick herself up, and right herself to give her chest more room.

She practically forgot she was supposed to be in a battle until she heard footsteps splashing in the water behind her. Rosa quickly flipped over, drawing her knife from her belt as she realized she was completely defenseless.

Cecil ran up on her, but then stopped a few feet from her. "Sorry! Are you alright?-" Rosa threw a hand to her chest. "Breathe through your nose," he told her, as soon as he saw that the wind was knocked out of her. She sucked in as big a breath as she could through her nose, and was surprised when it pulled in easily. She instantly relaxed, and he allowed her to sit there in the water for a few more seconds as she caught her breath.

"Geez, Cecil, don't hurt her!" Tidus yelled.

"I wasn't trying-" he started, sending Tidus a completely distressed glance.

" . . . I'm fine!" she yelled as soon as she could, but even to her her voice sounded hoarse and small. Rosa sheathed her knife and looked around for her bow and realized that she must have sent it away without even knowing it. Well, fine. She figured it was time to change tactics anyway. She was breathing easier, and she let out one last, huge sigh to let him know that she was alright. But she still didn't get up. While she sat there, she tried to remember some of the spells she knew. She had Cure and all of its levels. Protect. Shell for magic. She knew Libra, which was an informational spell. She remembered Raise and its higher version, Arise, from her encounter with the manikin that she tried to revive. Dispel, what else?

Rosa blinked and looked to the side, but when she opened her eyes, she didn't see Sanctuary around her. Instead, her surroundings were dark and grey, and she was in a cave.

 _The Cait Sith opened its huge jaws and snarled, flaring its antennae around it in a clear threat. The Lunar monsters were strong. Incredibly strong, and much more vicious than anything on the Overworld, and they were only making it angry. Edge's shurikens barely even sliced its thick skin. Palom's Black Magic disoriented and confused it, but did little else to actually damage it. Cecil and Kain could barely even get swings in. Instead they were continuously blocking the swipes from its claws and from its antennae. Rosa was spending all of her magic just keeping everyone healed and strong when they took serious hits._

 _Its antennae started to glow dangerously white, and Rosa knew its Blaster attack was coming. Kain wisely backed away, leaping back several feet in one bound. Cecil watched him retreat in confusion, unaware that the Cait Sith was charging up._

 _"Watch out!" Rosa tried to yell._

 _The antennae lashed out, slapping against Cecil's armor on either side of his chest. Yellow charges pinged and jolted off his armor, and he stiffened from the electricity. He collapsed to the ground, lying completely still. So still, Rosa thought he took a fatal blow. She instantly took off towards him, but the Cait Sith snarled again and whipped its antennae around it, keeping her at bay. Suddenly, Cecil's form shuddered on the ground and dragged itself to a sitting position. Rosa could see that something wasn't right. His back was to her, but his motions were slow and sloppy, like he didn't quite have control._

 _"Cecil!" she called._

 _He turned towards the sound of her voice, and Rosa saw what the problem was. His eyes were black - completely black. The Cait Sith had Blinded him. He opened his mouth and looked like he tried to scream, but nothing crawled from his throat. He was Silenced, too. He dragged himself to his feet, but wobbled and collapsed again, swinging his sword wildly around him._

 _"Cecil!" Kain yelled, and ran forward to help him, but when he got close enough, Cecil jabbed his sword at Kain. He crawled after Kain on his hands and knees, too dizzy to stand up, and continuously swiped at his legs. "Rosa, he's Confused!" Kain yelled._

 _The Esuna spell was already tumbling from her lips, and the warmth was already starting to build in her chest. It needed to be powerful to heal all of his ailments-_

Rosa opened her eyes, finished the blink, and looked around for the Cait Sith. Expected to be on the dark moon's surface. But instead, she was surrounded by all white, sitting in Sanctuary's water, and Cecil was in front of her, already healed.

Oh.

Well, at least she remembered a lot of what she knew. She had a Silence spell, that could inflict or heal. She didn't know if Cecil had any magic to him, but if she got the chance to try it, she would. She remembered Blind, but she didn't have a spell that inflicted it or healed it, except for Esuna.

And there was Confuse.

She remembered that one.

Which, she thought, could be fun. If she could get Cecil close enough to her, she could . . . "N-next time, don't stop!" she told him, trying to hide the fact that she just remembered something. "If this were a real battle, my opponent wouldn't stop." The Cait Sith certainly didn't. The Emperor didn't stop for her.

"Friends wouldn't hurt each other in a real battle," Cecil said. "I'm sorry." He stepped towards her and offered his hand.

"You're the one who said to fight like we usually would!" she fired back. She slapped his hand away, and called her staff to her hands, using it to drag herself to her feet. Good, now she had it in her hand.

"True, but I'm not going to attack you when you're completely defenseless! We aren't trying to harm each other here!"

"Says the man who just hit me twice in the back."

"I used the flat of the blade so I wouldn't stab you, Rosa."

"Uuuuugh, stop fighting and- . . . fight already!" Tidus yelled from the sidelines.

Rosa rolled her eyes, exasperated with the fact that they got so off-topic. "Bartz," she called.

"Yeah?"

"Offensive white magic is allowed, right?"

"Mmmmmm," he hummed, eyes flicking up in the air. "Yeah! I don't see why not! As long as you know the spell, Cecil said that every skill . . . "

Offensive magic felt different. While healing magic was a soft warmth, offensive magic felt cold and heavy. Like there was snow piling up inside of her. And while healing magic seemed to come from her heart, the offensive magic pooled lower, sort of near her stomach. Rosa let the chill build while Bartz was talking, and when she felt it was built up enough, she let it build in the crystal on her staff, too. It flashed, and Rosa thrust it forward like a spear and slammed it into Cecil's chest plate.

"H-hey!" Bartz yelled. "I don't know if that's-"

"Anything at our disposal!" Rosa countered.

The blow had staggered Cecil back, but the Confusion had held, so he dizzily splashed to his backside in the water. He blinked hard, but his eyes were glassy and wide, like he could only see very far into the distance. They flicked around wildly until they locked on Bartz. Cecil dragged himself to his feet, never taking his eyes off of him. When he was upright, he wobbled a bit, then ran towards him.

"W-woah!" Bartz yelled. "Cecil, stop!" He backpedaled wildly as Cecil stumbled towards him, swinging back and forth at him. "Ah!" he called a copy of Firion's small round shield to his wrist and blocked an overhead swing. "C-call him off, Rosa!"

Rosa gasped and ran forward. She didn't think this through. Confuse caused the afflicted to attack anybody, enemies and friends, at random. It didn't occur to her that he'd consider Bartz at all. Rosa slid in between the two and pushed Cecil back with her staff braced across his chest.

"Oooooooh no she didn't!" Zidane yelled. He grabbed the Onion Knight next to him and shook him, pointing towards Rosa and Cecil. "Look, look! She Confused him!"

"Get off!" Onion yelled, throwing him off. "I think it was a cheap trick."

"It wasn't cheap," Warrior said. "It is well within the rules to use whatever you have at your disposal. And Cecil let his guard down."

Rosa ignored them.

Cecil ran forward again, and thrust the tip of his spear at her stomach. She wormed to the side and planted her foot on his hip, pushing him back again. While he was at a distance, she recalled the spell and cast it towards him, removing it. He blinked the bleariness away from his eyes and saw Rosa, and ran forward as though nothing had happened. He probably didn't even realize he nearly killed Bartz, she realized.

" _Mental note: be careful with Confuse_ ," she told herself.

She figured that was enough of her magic anyway. She sent her staff away and called her bow again. He seemed to be breathing easily while her breath came in deep gasps - though she figured a portion of that was from having the wind knocked out of her. Cecil sprinted forward. She watched the form of his body. Slightly leaned forward, eyes up and intense, sword behind him.

Twenty feet from her.

Ten feet from her.

She heard a heavy sound behind her. A dry rustling, like someone was dragging something heavy in the dirt. She whirled around, thinking someone was attacking her from behind.

 _She whirled around, glaring into the blackness of the Cave behind her. Hoping to ambush them, six Black Lizards scuttled and crawled out from the shadows of the cave. They skittered forward on stubby legs, and their bodies shuffled through the dirt._

 _The one in front reared up on two legs and squealed in a clicking sound, and Rosa turned to alert Cecil. "To arms!" He turned, made a noise of alarm, and sprinted to engage, almost running straight at her._

 _The Cave rippled and shimmered around her. Water lapped at her boots, and for a second everything was white._

Cecil was still running towards her-

 _He brushed her shoulder as he ran past her._

 _"No!" she screamed, turning with him. "There are too many!" Cecil froze where he was, skidding in the dirt while his eyes surveyed the six Black Lizards around them. "I've got it."_

 _She pulled an arrow from her quiver, already calling a Holy spell into existence. She sent it into the arrow, building it and building it until the tip glowed white-hot. She aimed at the nearest wall, well away from any of the enemies._

 _"What are you-" Kain yelled, but Rosa ignored him to loose the arrow._

 _When it hit the wall, it ricocheted, and the tip burst apart into six shots._

 _A perfect combination of a Holy Arrow and a Ricochet Shot. Each one bounced randomly off the narrow cave walls, and all of her party members ducked and dodged until all six found their marks in a Lizard._

Rosa opened her eyes, and Cecil was still coming in quick. She gasped, dodging to the side to give herself more time to draw. She pulled an arrow and nocked it, and turned to the side to aim it at the wall-

There were no walls in Sanctuary.

Cecil changed directions on the dot, still bearing down on her. He was close, incredibly close. Quickly panicking, with nowhere to shoot the arrow, Rosa aimed it straight at the ground instead. She loosed the arrow, and when it hit the ground and burst open into three shots, she half expected him to stop and at least try to deflect all three. They fanned out, one coming at him from head on, one bouncing to the right, and the other bouncing to his left.

Cecil jumped into the air and twisted, swirling his blade around him in a visible arc. The spin of his attack simply powered through her arrows, and they glanced harmlessly off of his armor. He twirled again, landing one swing against her left pauldron. The clashing sound rung in her ears as her arm jammed straight into her side, jarring her entire frame. An ache erupted in her chest, from when she was slammed to the ground, but before she could even react or recover, Cecil was circling again. The second swing hit her pauldron again, harder, and she felt all the bones in her arm and shoulder gnash together. Tears sprang to her eyes and she yelped, unable to quiet the sound before it left her.

His third strike to her shoulder shot stabbing pain up and down her arm. So intense she froze, clenching it to her side. It only lasted a second, and after it faded, pins and needles replaced it, into each of her fingers and all the way up to her collarbone. She lost feeling, her arm grew weak and slumped to her side, useless. She was thrown up into the air, and Cecil soared after her, surrounded by an aura of gold. Everywhere he followed, he left forms behind him - insubstantial golden transparencies that froze in the air and held his pose. They drew Rosa's eyes, and she lost sight of the real Cecil.

There was a flash of white light. A strike collided with her left pauldron. Her already injured shoulder. The pins and needles gave way immediately for blinding pain, and she spun dizzily around with the swing. She caught sight of Cecil for a second, but there was another flash and he was gone. Another of his gold forms was all she saw before another strike slammed into the small of her back, curling her up in the air. Cecil appeared below her, and she watched him dash straight up one more time, then flip downwards, plowing the flat of his blade between her shoulders again.

Rosa was hurled to the ground again and lay there, too dizzy to even try to get up, her arm too weak to even move. Her right arm moved slowly, robotically, like she wasn't the one controlling it. It hovered over her left shoulder, shaking, and she held it there waiting for a healing spell, any healing spell, to wrap around her. It took a few seconds before she was coherent enough to realize that she hadn't actually spoken any spell.

She blinked hard and fast, bringing her eyes into focus, and when Sanctuary finally stopped spinning, she spoke a real Curaga. The warm light in her chest spread over her shoulder, banishing the pins and needles. Like a jolt, her strength returned to her arm and fingers, and she clutched her bow tightly to her.

Oh gods, she was losing. Badly. She hadn't managed a single hit on him. Only a silly Confuse spell that did more harm to Bartz than it did good for her. She dragged herself to her feet, and spun towards him, not even caring if her fear showed on her face. She didn't have any more tricks. Nothing else had come to light yet from her memory. All she had was what she knew, and she didn't want to just defend with White Magic the whole time.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Wh-what _was_ that?!" she sputtered. "I didn't even . . . _see_ you. Only gold images of you."

"Firion named it Radiant Wing for me. Much more poetic than anything I could have come up with. Sorry, if it hurt you."

She didn't answer. Only lifted her bow to start the fight again.

Cecil paused, lowering his spear from his upright position. "This is only a sparring match. It's supposed to be helping you. Don't take it so seriously."

Rosa bristled in anger. "I won't lose," she growled to herself. She didn't know why she couldn't relax. The desire to prove that she had some sort of merit, maybe. That she wasn't just ignorant or helpless, or a burden to them until she remembered something. And plus, she thought bitterly, for something not meant to be taken seriously, Cecil hit pretty damn hard.

She didn't even know how to fight back. And it wasn't to hurt him, she just wanted to feel like she was doing something.

Cecil reset, but before Bartz called the battle, he raised his spear across his chest. It glowed pure white - Cecil's trademark, it seemed, as a Paladin: white light. He lifted it straight up above his head, brighter and brighter, and Rosa expected another flash of light. Perhaps a dormant power, or something. Instead, a wave-like pulse burst out from his body, and it was purple.

Menacing, powerful in an uncontrolled kind of way. It dissipated, and all around Rosa saw more dark energy swirling and dancing around him and glinting like crystal shards. Darkness had clung to his Paladin armor. Instead of the glaring whites and soft purples, he was wearing black armor, adorned with deep purple and gold accent colors. Where his Paladin armor looked smooth and fluid in its design, and even a bit ornate, this armor looked more simple and functional.

His Paladin shoes, which had been shaped into a point, had a gold, metal, crown-shaped plate over the front of his ankles for protection. But his black shoes now were rounded, with diamond-shaped guards on either side of his ankle rather than in the front. His greaves were plain in the front and had four purple spikes poking out on both of his calves. Matching diamond guards covered his knees, and as Rosa's eyes trailed up further, she noticed that his armor had muscle definition carved into the shaping where his Paladin armor didn't.

His belt had a purple 'x' outlined in gold on it, and the accents and colors wrapped around it in a waving design as well. The abdomen and chest were well-defined, and his giant pauldrons were flat and round, outlined in gold with one curved spike that stuck straight up from each of his shoulders. Matching spiked gauntlets and a high collar nearly completed the set.

Nearly startling Rosa was the helmet that had formed over Cecil's face.

A grimacing, nasty face sneered back at her. The features of the face were slumped downward. The eyebrows were furrowed deeply, the eyes themselves were narrowed and completely white, like dead eyes. White and empty like that manikin of Zidane. It had six horns, three on each side, that trailed off both sides of it, making him look like a demon.

It was such a startling contrast to his usual emotion. He seemed generally pleasant, usually smiling when she looked at him. Always bathed in the purest of radiance and elegance in his Paladin armor. His light was the pride in his eyes and his stance, gentle and ethereal, and with it he floated above the world around him. Now he looked enraged. All the light was gone from him, and it looked like the armor was specifically built to keep it out - that, or lock every mote away tight, never to reach the surface again. He looked unrefined and rugged. More grounded and fierce, but at the cost of the light that he took so much pride in.

Even his battle stance had changed. He wasn't standing straight anymore, with his chin elevated, standing firm against his adversaries. His stance in the dark armor was hunched over. Low and threatening, with his spear back behind his left side. He was looking up at her through the helmet's furrowed eyebrows like a rabid animal about to attack.

Feral, that was a good word, Rosa realized. His dark armor looked feral.

"This is my Dark Knight," Cecil said, after a while. He must have caught her staring. Rosa quickly closed her mouth and blinked herself back to her surroundings. They still had a battle, after all. She quickly reached behind her to grab a few arrows, but Cecil lowered his spear and stood up straight. "Wait," he said. "Do you have any . . . questions, or anything?"

"Questions?"

"Oh . . . No, nothing. I was hoping that seeing the armor would help you remember something." He went to scratch awkwardly at the back of his head, but when his hand came into contact with the metal helmet, he simply dropped it back to his side.

"Nothing specific," she said. "All I know is that . . . you were the King's ward in Baron. He had you become a Dark Knight as he had been." She knew that from the memory she had of their discussion under the tree. She had asked him then if he even wanted to be a Dark Knight. By then, he was very nearly at the top of command.

He nodded. "Yes. I suppose it makes sense that you have few memories of this armor. I only wore it on missions during my time with the Red Wings, and His Majesty never sent you on any missions with me. You were only an Apprentice, and he only allowed Mages to accompany us- Well, I still had it when we went to Mount Hobbs. You, me, Rydia, and Edward."

A brief thought flashed in her mind, of the green-haired girl, of a blond man in a red and orange outfit holding a lute. Cecil, frowning at them from under his black helmet. She could remember standing on an orange raft-like vehicle, the propeller whipping the wind all around them, blowing Rosa's hair around her and tangling it all up. She stared over the side, and as they crossed the shoals and the shallow rocks on the water, a huge, rising mountain loomed overhead, growing taller and taller and taller the closer they got.

She supposed that was Mount Hobbs.

"Let's keep going," she said. The respite was nice and she felt like she was ready to continue, at least physically. The healing she performed earlier had removed the heaviness from her arm and from her muscles, and just to double check, Rosa called her bow and experimentally pulled the string as hard as she could a few times. Perfectly fine to keep shooting, she just hoped she wouldn't be sore later. In a way, she realized she could continue to battle indefinitely, or at least, until she lost all of her magic power. Either spending all of it or just being too physically weak to call upon the power.

Or mentally weak, she added. She could feel the battle's tolls on her mind. The memories were powerful, random, and completely overbearing, and Rosa could feel a bit of fatigue set in. She felt slow and tired, like she couldn't be bothered to muster the energy to be as high-strung as she was at the start of the battle. More fighting seemed like a momentous undertaking - but she quickly realized that her desire to remember more, to not be completely in the dark, sort of quieted some of her exhaustion.

At Bartz's call, Cecil started towards her, and Rosa noticed he was moving much slower than she had seen before. His dark armor must have been heavier. If she had to guess, his attacks would be stronger, but less quick as well. Rosa realized that's why the armor was so much more rugged in its design. It was built for durability. For slow, heavy-handed, deliberate skill.

If he was slowed, she could definitely use that to her advantage.

Rosa called upon the cold, tingling power of offensive White Magic, and shuddered as it pooled down near her stomach. She whispered, " _Time, hasten to my aid_." Second nature to her. As though she never forgot. The piercing chill spread through her whole body, into her chest, her legs, her arms, and fingers.

From within, the chill touched her muscles, and everywhere it went she was left with a slight buzz. An intense vibration that awakened her senses and shivered up and down her body in waves. The Haste spell spread itself through her, and all around her, Sanctuary seemed to slow down. Cecil's slow and controlled run seemed even slower. Bartz's blinking face looked robotic and methodical.

This would work incredibly to her advantage.

Rosa looked around - she knew she had time - and took in her surroundings. There weren't any white barriers around in this area of Sanctuary, but one of the green bands that she saw earlier curved and touched the ground not far from them. The course of the battle had sent her close to some of the arrows she shot earlier, so she circled around and picked some of them up. Her quiver wasn't close to empty, but it never hurt to keep a few extras. She could even use magic arrows if she had to. She turned back to Cecil and he was halfway to her, still running at her.

Nocking the first of the arrows she picked up, an idea came to her. With no barriers here, she needed something to distract him with. Or something she could use to give herself the upper hand. She held the next arrows in her draw hand and prepared for another Rapid Shot, but before she shot the volley, she aimed the first arrow far over Cecil's head. Not even close to him. Her eyes scanned the area over his head, trailing a wide path through the air then crossing it back to Cecil.

She loosed the arrow, and it sailed far over Cecil's head. He paid it no attention, still running towards her at a slow and steady pace due to her Haste. She then finished her Rapid Shot, shooting arrow after arrow after arrow, one right after the other at him. Cecil leaned to the side and dodged the first one, but the second one came too fast for him. It pierced his right shoulder, punching through the thick pauldron. He grunted in pain, stumbling as the cadence of his sprint was thrown off. The next arrow stabbed just above his collarbone on the same side. He backpedaled away, and happened to dodge the third arrow by chance.

She kept them away from the left side of his chest, away from his heart just in case the arrows buried too deep in him and actually drew blood. The other two sailed for him, too fast for his eyes, and while he handled them, Rosa kept her eyes on the arrow she sent through the air before the Rapid Shot. It slowly trailed up and up, along the path Rosa drew with her eyes. It curved along the wide arc, seeming to slow to a dead stop before circling back around and swept back down towards Cecil's back and honed in on him, picking up speed and power.

He was still reeling from the two shafts that managed to pierce into his shoulder and arm, and didn't even notice the arrow coming for his back. It slammed straight into the center of his shoulders and threw him down flat to the ground. Flat on his stomach. His weight snapped the two already in him, and Rosa panicked for a brief second while he slid forward in the water from the force of her Homing Arrow. She started towards him, afraid that his fall had buried the arrow tips even further and potentially caused him more damage than she intended.

To her relief he slowly dragged himself to his hands and knees, and it looked even more slow and labored to her because of the spell. She went to call out to him, and waved her off. "Good shot," he said.

"Did those arrows hurt you?"

"No. They're just stuck in my armor. Keep going!" he said, trying to reach around to grab at the other one. He couldn't get to it in his armor, and resorted to leaving it there.

The tingle Rosa had felt from her spell was growing more and more faint, fading away from the fibers of her muscles. Occasionally a residual twitch came to her, or a pulse, but gradually the world around her seemed to speed up as she slowed down. Cecil used his spear to haul himself to his feet, groaning with the effort. He continued to run towards her, and a cold chill spread down Rosa's back as she realized how quick he seemed now that she no longer was Hastened.

She called upon one of the spells she knew from her memory of the Cait Sith, and sent a Paralyze spell his way. She actually positioned the magic in front of him, so that he would run right into it. To her relief, his path carried him straight through the center of its concentration, and immediately she watched the effects set in. He stopped exactly where he was, with his body leaned forward, poised for the next step. His body started to tremble with the effort of trying to break through the spell and move. With tremendous strain he picked his foot up and it inched forward, almost painfully, but before long he froze like that. He struggled, growling low in his throat - Rosa could see the occasional jolt of his body.

She froze, unsure of what to do next. If she attacked him now, he would be defenseless, and after her accidental stunt with Confuse she didn't think that would be very sportsmanlike. In the same breath, she didn't want to just sit and watch him struggle. If this were a real battle, she wouldn't watch her enemy, gloating like that. Besides, it would look extremely pretentious. She couldn't even remember if the spell faded or if she had to remove it herself, like Confuse.

Thankfully, Cecil saved her from her conflict. He yelled out again, and with a bright flash of white light, he shifted back to his Paladin armor. The shift allowed him to break through the spell, and Rosa could feel it collapse pathetically around him. He only spent a second back in his Paladin armor before he stood up on his toes, raising his spear straight up, as far above his head as he possibly could. He shifted back to Dark Knight, and slammed his spear to the ground.

A column of crackling, black and purple flame spouted out from the spear with a boom that sounded like an explosion. It shot up high, flickering and spitting, and before it fully dissipated another shot up in front of it. Then another, then another, coming towards her in a line. All thought left her, awestruck at the sight before her. She had no idea Cecil could be that powerful.

Rosa staggered to the side at the sight of it, and to her horror it seemed to track her movement, inching to the side after her. Her panic swelled and her heart jumped into her throat as she realized to completely dodge this she would have to time it exactly right. The closer and closer it drew, gaining speed and power with hit, the more she felt it. It shook the ground it was so powerful. It shook her, rattling her bones inside of her.

 _The Tower of Zot shook around them, so hard that it rattled the bones inside of her. The walls visibly trembled, and bits of concrete, glass, and crystal rained around them as it broke free from the ceiling._

 _"The tower's collapsing!" Cecil yelled._

 _"Look out!" Kain yelled next, head reclined to stare straight up at the falling debris._

 _A single, forceful crash shook the entire tower further, and Rosa knew that the upper floors and the tip of the tower were shaking loose and collapsing. As if to confirm what she thought, larger chunks of the tower fell around them. She had to get them out of there. She pushed her way to the middle of their little group. To the middle of Cid, Cecil, Kain, and Yang. "Hold on to me!" she yelled, throwing her hand out, Cecil was the first to grab it, and Kain held on to Cecil while Yang grabbed her other hand._

 _They had seconds, maybe._

 _Rosa called as much of the magic she possessed inside of her and focused it straight from her heart. She pictured Baron. The castle. The West tower. Cecil's bedroom in the West Tower. She surrounded all of them with the power and yelled, "Teleport!" as loud as she could._

The Dark Flame drew closer and closer to her, only feet away. She could feel the heat. Radiating off of the flames and scorching her face. Scorching her entire body. Her cheeks burned, her eyes felt hot, instantly tearing up.

She had seconds, maybe.

Rosa called the same power, picturing the other side of Sanctuary. "Teleport!" she yelled.

The warmth enveloped her whole body. The world fell away from her. Sanctuary's light blacked out instantly, as though she had gone blind. The floor collapsed away from her feet and she flailed, thinking she was going to fall. A sound like moving air whirred in her ears for just a second, before everything stopped. The ground slammed against her feet and the light came back.

She was where she pictured, on the other side of Sanctuary. Far away from Cecil and his attack.

It faded away, with the column shrinking and shrinking until it disappeared, and Cecil looked around in confusion before spotting her on the other end of the battlefield. The heat from it . . . She felt like she could still feel it on her cheeks. She felt like her eyes were burning hot, like her skin was on fire. The very air felt dry and hot, and she gasped-

 _She staggered again, nearly face-planting in the sand. So hot . . . she had to be close to Damcyan. Or Cecil - she wasn't even that far behind Cecil. He only left . . . three days before she did. Word only reached her that he perished hours ago. Or was it a day?_

 _The sun beat down on her skin, and she felt like she could feel the waves of its heat beating down on her face. She was dehydrated. She knew she was. She was dehydrated, and had probably taken a wrong turn in the endless dunes. The sand blew again with a dry gust of hot wind and her eyes blurred, burning her vision-_

Rosa blinked hard, wiping furiously at her eyes, to clear the memory's searing sand.

 _She trudged through the endless sand, each new step like a leaded weight upon her legs. She shivered again. The dull throb of simple fatigue had long since subsided to a feverish ache in every single muscle. Her foot sunk in the soft dune, and she lost the effort to lift her boots from the suck of the sea._

 _She collapsed there, shivering uncontrollably with a chill as the sun glared down at her. Burning her skin. Drying her out. Leaving her there, without mercy. Weakly she lifted her head and tried to call out, but her parched, swollen throat failed her. She only managed a hoarse whisper as the desert fever took over her completely._

 _"Cecil . . . "_

" _Cecil_ ," she whispered, and she paused in embarrassment as she realized she said his name out loud. She spun around, hoping nobody heard, and sighed in relief when she saw that Cecil was still across Sanctuary, headed towards her, and the others were lined over by where he was.

"Well done!" Cecil yelled to her loudly. He closed the distance quickly and smiled at her, but when he saw the seriousness in her eyes, he broke stride and hesitated. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just remembered something that really . . . I tried to follow you, and got sick."

"You got desert fever."

"I collapsed in the middle of a desert? How did anybody find me?"

"You weren't minutes from Kaipo before you collapsed. Luckily, a traveler found you and took you to their home. They let you stay there while you recovered."

"Oh," she said, unsure of what else to say.

"I was worried sick about you. Rydia, Edward, and I were able to cure you, but it was close. Your fever was far too high, and wouldn't break." His voice grew distant, and Rosa couldn't see his eyes. But imagined that if she could, she'd see them fixated on the ground in front of him. He was remembering his part of the experience. "You wouldn't stop calling for me. It was heartbreaking. But," he said brightly, breaking himself of the solemnity. "You were fine! The three of us went and found what we needed to cure you. Almost immediately you insisted upon coming with us to our next destination. I refused, of course, but that stubborn streak . . . " he said, allowing the smile to cross his face. "Are you good to keep going?" he asked, reaching out and gently touching her arm.

Leaving it there as he peered down into her face.

 _She noticed he had kept his hand on her arm._

 _For far longer than was proper._

 _He was still smiling at her. For far longer than was proper._

 _She noticed that about him, lately. They'd spent day after day at the tree and behind the waterfalls. She was starting to feel a change in him._

 _He had begun with glances. Keeping his eyes on her for longer than was proper while he bowed, before finally lowering them to the floor. Smiling at her when she caught him staring. Roving his eyes over her face._

 _Then it was hand kisses. His lips would brush her knuckles first before the most gentlest of touches to her hand. He wouldn't exactly clasp her hand in his, but he would open his hand and allow her to rest it there for as long as she would._

 _She had started to notice she didn't always want to pull away._

 _And he had no doubt noticed her own stares. Her own smiles._

 _And then he moved on to gentle touches. Holding her hand, hooking his arm in hers. Maintaining that contact._

 _His touches had started to burn her. When she reciprocated his instances of contact, he would light up in joy that was nearly blinding._

 _Sometimes she wished he'd hold her closer._

 _Touch her longer._

 _Steal a kiss already-_

Rosa shook her head violently, as though to shake the memory from her mind. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment, and when she raised her eyes and saw his look of genuine peace , her cheeks reddened, even hotter.

Where had that come from?

"A-actually," she stammered. "I think I'm done."

"Oh!" he said quickly. He shifted back to the bright white of his Paladin armor, and his face looked dejected and a little bit hurt. "Okay. Are you alright?"

" . . . Fine. I'm just tired. The memories hit me hard," she told him honestly. "I need to rest. And to think."

"Yes, of course," he said. "If you have any questions, please let me know."

"I will," she told him, nodding to him. He held his hand out to her and she pressed it into his palm. He pulled her hand to his lips, gently kissing her knuckle. "You did well, Lady Rosa. I look forward to our next encounter."

"Thank you," she said. She waited patiently for him to release her hand so she could curtsey. She waited. Smiled at him, and he smiled back.

She waited longer.

There it was again, that extended contact she hadn't known a thing about until she saw it just now, in a memory. She pried her hand from his and offered a shallow curtsey. "Until our next encounter."

* * *

 _ **Whoo, this chapter's a big one!**_

 _ **With the arrival of Dissidia NT and the upgraded attacks, attack mechanics, body movements, etc. I have decided to combine elements of the original Dissidia ( and 012) as well as NT. The two named attacks I had Cecil use were the new Dissidia NT attack called Sacred Cross, and Radiant Wing - which is both in the old Dissidia and NT. I also used Dark Flame, which is in all Dissidias. The description of battle was hard. It probably won't ever be this meticulous again, but this was the first time Rosa was seeing anything of Cecil's attacks. I wanted to make sure the reader had enough information to know what Rosa was seeing in real time, without it being mechanical.**_

 _ **Let me know how I did.**_

 _ **I got a CuriousCat! I'm Keyblader41996 on there, so look me up and ask me anything about Petal!**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone who favorited/reviewed! And thanks to my beta!**_

 _ **~Keyblader**_


	17. Chapter 17

If prompted to tell of it, Exdeath could make an excellent story out of his own origins.

It was a fantastical tale in and of itself. Eons and eons ago, before the worlds ever existed as these warriors knew them, there was a Sorcerer-King named Enuo. Already the most powerful being in his own world, he constantly sought even more power. He wanted dominion over all worlds, not just his own. Dominion, even, over the Void, the nothingness that all Life returns to upon its death from its mortal prisons.

In his pursuit, Enuo targeted the four Elemental Crystals. Essences of Life itself - Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. He planned to use the Void to suck all power from the Crystals, absorb it into himself, and drain the world of all life until they perished. Exdeath was one of his soldiers. A powerful fiend, one of thousands, who fought and killed the humans and their worlds for Enuo.

But the humans, seeing the threat to their worlds, fought back. They used the power of the near-drained Crystals to seal Enuo away in the Void he so desperately craved. And all of his ranks were sealed away as well, in the trees of the Great Forest of Moore. Exdeath's body and his consciousness were crammed into the bark. He and many others were seeped into the roots, twisted around the branches. Eventually, all of those souls congealed and morphed, twisting together to form individual and sentient beings within the trees of the Forest themselves.

Exdeath was the only one powerful enough, and consumed with enough hatred, he assumed, to ever break out of his tree.

He remembered his time as a tree. He remembered being unable to move his painfully twisted and gnarled limbs for millennia. Being unable to speak to another soul, only able to push against the other consciousnesses crowding around his until he finally consumed them and amassed their power. It was torture. He pulled them into himself until their essences disappeared and only he was left. He planned his ultimate escape from the tree. For millennia he planned how he would exact his revenge upon the people who sealed him there. He planned his ascent to become the next Enuo, the most powerful being in all of the worlds.

He would rather go back to being sealed in a tree than spend any extra and unnecessary time with Kefka.

But of course, the jester followed him to the Rift. Of course, he just had to follow Exdeath rather than Ultimecia. Rather than staying and bothering the Emperor as he no doubt had before he arrived in Pandaemonium.

Kefka kept trying to speak to him. To hold some semblances of a conversation, however simple and painful.

Exdeath resorted to ignoring him.

Completely, blatantly-

"You sure you don't wanna show me what's under that helmet, Deathy?"

Exdeath slowly turned towards Kefka, even leaning slightly downward to try and make him feel small. Usually it worked, but Kefka was . . . Kefka. He couldn't even glare to help himself, with his helmet in the way. It prevented any sort of emotional display.

"I won't laugh, I promise!"

Gods, how he wanted to kill him. He could feel the rage bubbling up in his heart. His fists clenched so hard that they trembled, as he imagined how much pressure it would take to crush Kefka's skull with his bare hands. It was by sheer force of will he restrained himself.

"Pleeeeeeease-"

"You ask me that again at your own peril." His voice came out clipped and tight through his clenched teeth.

"Deathyyyyy-"

"No, no, NO! For the last time, you cretin, I will not remove my helmet for you!" To drive his threat home, he summoned his sword to his clenched fist, then allowed it to hover in the air between him and Kefka. The last warning.

But of course, Kefka found a way to ignore it.

With a screeching yowl, Kefka sprang from the ground and leapt straight over the sword, straight towards Exdeath. He latched on, wrapping his legs around Exdeath's torso like a leech. He tugged and pried at the helmet, attempting to detach it from Exdeath's shoulders.

"Come on, come on! It's gotta come off, somehow!" Kefka jabbed his fingers into the slit, and tried to brace it open.

"RRRRAAAUUUGH!" Exdeath roared, as Kefka's fingers stabbed and clawed at his face. He back-pedaled as fast as his legs could carry him. He writhed and thrashed as much as he could in his armor. He could not detach Kefka from his face.

* * *

If Ultimecia learned anything from the Emperor's little meeting, it was that he was as simple and she believed him to be. Even after Chaos' direct threat, he was still trying to overthrow him. The Emperor was so arrogant, he didn't even realize he lacked any sort of power to even come close to Chaos. He didn't understand that he would fall before he ever amassed any sort of power to even think about coming close to Chaos.

And if he thought she honestly believed his little promise of payment, then he definitely was as simple as she believed him to be. He himself told her he didn't have a plan yet. Only an idea - and he was willing to send her, Kefka, and Exdeath on a wild goose chase in the meantime while he figured it out.

Either that, or he believed her to be just as simple as she thought him.

She agreed for her own purposes, not for his. She needed time to plan for herself. When he was ready to take on Chaos, and, presumably, take her on before that, she needed to be ready to strike him before he struck her. What better to do in the meantime than indulge his little grudge? Especially when it would help herself.

She wondered what Kefka and Exdeath thought of his little plan. They agreed on the principle of the thing - of Chaos' warriors destroying Cosmos' warriors. It wasn't like he promised them anything tangible like he promised her. So did they see through it just as she did? Did they know it was a cover up for something else major in his plans?

Ultimecia figured she could ask them. They were supposed to work together, after all.

The most likely place to find Exdeath would be the Rift. Ultimecia figured she would start there.

She called a pocket of darkness and pictured the Rift in her mind, down to the exact platform she wanted to go to. She willed another opening into existence there, and stepped through. A brief feeling of weightlessness, a rush of air, and she appeared there.

Right as a demonic roar reached her ears.

"RRRRAAAUUUGH!" Exdeath's sword clattered to the ground and he clawed at Kefka, who was wrapped around his face like a pastel-colored vine. "GET OFF OF ME, KEFKA!"

"I JUST WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE!"

"KEFKA!"

Kefka even called a fire to his palm, seconds away from blowing the helmet off of his face.

Gods, they were so simple.

"Excuse me!" Ultimecia yelled in-between Exdeath's cries. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?!"

Kefka froze, craning his neck to peer at Ultimecia over his shoulder. Exdeath still struggled, but he did it silently, scratching at Kefka's clothes and back.

"Put that away, Kefka, and stop acting like a fool!"

Reluctantly, Kefka closed his fist over the fire. "Nice to see you too, deary."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Have you truly considered the Emperor's proposal?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent.

Exdeath grabbed a fistful of the feathers in Kefka's hair. "I have," he said, a little out of breath. He yanked and peeled Kefka off of himself, and threw him to the ground. Kefka yelped in protest. "There is something amiss. Either this Rosa is powerful and he is afraid of her, or she is a detriment to his real plans. Defeating her is some small part of a larger scheme."

"I came to the same conclusion. Any idea what his real plan is?" She already knew, of course, but she wanted to see what they knew.

"None," Exdeath said. "And I don't care to know it. It is of no consequence to me what he thinks he can plan. No consequence to this world, really. Whether he succeeds or not, all will return to nothingness. He will lose in the end."

"Will you still go through with helping him?"

"Kill Rosa?" Exdeath asked. "Yes. As I told the Emperor, it is of no extra effort on my part to send a warrior to the Void."

"I'm still helping because killing people is fun!" Kefka yelled from the ground. By then, he was reclined on his side, with his elbow on the ground to support his head.

"Let's agree to keep an eye out for her," Ultimecia said. "If any one of us spots her, we will alert the others."

"Agreed," Exdeath said. "Until then, do not contact me, Kefka." Exdeath called his sword to himself with magic where it lay on the ground, and disappeared in the next blink. Leaving Kefka and Ultimecia in the Rift.

Kefka stood up from the ground and leaned in to her, as though about to share a secret despite being the only two people there. "You can't tell me you've never wondered what his face looks like."

Ultimecia stepped away from him and sighed. "While you ponder your profound thoughts, keep an eye out for her." She left Kefka to return to her own tower.

* * *

 _ **I actually finished this before the last chapter but didn't want to post two right away.**_

 _ **I had this chapter written in the old Petal one - the one posted on - so I just fixed it up. I loved it then. But I love it even more now because in the newest Dissidia NT trailer Kefka totally man-handles Tidus and Exdeath, and pulls them both through a portal. It was really funny to watch, and I was like, "OMG I WROTE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" :D**_

 _ **Anyway, let me know what you think of this fic so far~!**_

 _ **UPDATE OMFG UPDATE! OKAY SO THE OPEN BETA FOR DISSIDIA IS OUT AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING CUTSCENES IN JAPANESE BUT THERE'S A SCENE WITH TIDUS, FIRION, and SHANTOTTO VERSUS - GUESS WHO! - KEFKA, ULTIMECIA, and EXDEATH, and ULTY TAKES THE LEAD! Like OMFG guy I WROTE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN PETAL!**_

 _ **The new Dissidia is literally turning into everything I hoped for! I hope the story mode pays off when we get to hear it in English!**_


	18. Chapter 18

For Kain, the worst part of being called to the cycles was forgetting, and then remembering, his betrayal.

The very first memory that ever returned to him was one from their childhood. It was when the King of Baron called Cecil and him into the throne room so they could announce to him the job classes they would select. The King turned to Cecil first, and he proudly announced, "I will train as a Dark Knight, my lord!" The King's face lit up.

At _perfect_ Cecil.

His Majesty turned towards Kain, and though it was only a memory, it was so powerful that Kain's heart started to beat out of his chest in the present day. He resisted the urge to look at his feet and he cursed the heat in his cheeks that revealed his embarrassment. He announced that he would be a Dragoon, after his father, and the impulse to run from the room nearly overtook him when the King's bright expression fell into a disappointed frown. It was only on His Majesty's face for a second before he remembered himself and managed a pained smile.

He turned back to Cecil, and started to praise him for his choice.

Cecil, the King's favorite. Cecil, a Dark Knight, pride of Baron. Pride of His Majesty. He could do no wrong in the King's eyes, while all Kain received was his reprimanding and scorn. _Perfect_ Cecil.

After that, the memories of Cecil started to trickle in, one after the other. Cecil, who wore light and happiness around himself like a crown. _Perfect_ Cecil. Who walked in the favor of the gods and who carried all the luck and who garnered the love of the whole kingdom for simply existing while Kain was forced into his shadow.

The resurgence of rage and jealousy he felt alarmed him. Before he even knew himself in this war, he knew that he was capable of hatred and contempt. They were so natural to him, like returning to his own bed after a long journey.

Memories of Rosa naturally followed alongside his recollection of Cecil, only solidifying his emotions and hardening his heart further. Dazzling, dizzying glimpses of her, sometimes so beautiful he had trouble breathing. He knew her tender, healing touches like they were burned into his skin. He memorized the tones in her gentle voice, that sometimes sang bard songs around the campfire. Rosa was so selfless, she would drop everything if someone was injured, even if it meant endangering herself. She was undemanding of others around her. She was understanding and empathetic. She was soft and nurturing to the younger members of their group.

And she was fierce and fearless. She had a fire behind her green eyes in the heat of a battle. She could bare her teeth and growl with the angriest of wolves, and she could harm without mercy. It was amazing to watch her flip personas in an instant.

He loved her from the moment he saw her, when she broke up his and Cecil's fight. And he was forced to feel his heart sink into his stomach all over again, when he remembered the way she immediately turned and spoke to Cecil. He tried, over and over again, to get her to notice him and get her to feel something for him. She only fell further and further into Cecil's embrace. She only offered her smiles to Cecil.

Of course she should like Cecil more than him. Of course she would be more drawn to Cecil. _Perfect_ Cecil, who was better in every way. She wore a crown of stars and he wore a crown bathed in the light of the two moons, so of course they would be drawn together. Kain could never be worthy of being her friend, especially not when Cecil was there. Even when he was a Dark Knight he outshone Kain.

Kain could try and blame Goblez all he wanted for the actual betrayal, but that was only the half of it. If he said that he was forced to do anything that he did, he would be lying. Golbez's influence was only that - an influence - and Kain still acted as he pleased. He still understood and recognized that he wanted Rosa, and he knew that to get to her, he had to get rid of Cecil in the way. He knew that he was jealous. He knew that he was doing something awful.

He didn't care. He wanted her.

He could add selfish to the growing list of character traits he made for himself.

That was the worst of it. Finding out, memory by painful memory, that he used his emotions to betray his friends. Watching, mortified, as Golbez manipulated him and made him want to bring harm to Cecil. Kain felt all of it, all over again, and he watched himself kidnap Rosa. He relived looking her in the eye as though he had any reason to be prideful and act like he was finally proving to her he was better. He told her how much he loved her, how much he envied and loathed Cecil, and how much better he was than Cecil as though it would draw her to him. Rather than brighten his own image he only worked to tarnish Cecil's, and under Golbez's control it seemed right.

And then the spell was broken. And he had to admit to Rosa that his actions were his own. His shame hit him in waves and he couldn't look her in the face. He turned away from her, even when she tried to look into his eyes. And he told her he just wanted to be close to her, with the unspoken words hanging in the air that Cecil was the barrier. He had to admit to everyone there, people he didn't even know, that he was jealous and he just wanted to be with her, even if it meant killing his friends.

He felt his shame there, always in his chest. It hurt him to remember. It made his heart heavy and everything he felt bled into the rest of him. The emotions of the ordeal, and his own mortification as he remembered bit by painful bit.

How cruel of this world, that now that Rosa was here he would have to go through this for the third time. Once by himself, once when Cecil was called, and now once while Rosa would alienate herself from him, just like he did. No matter how close she considered them to be, she would inevitably start to look at him differently, with shock and injury in her eyes. And she would know everything about him. She would learn everything he felt about her and Cecil. Everything he did to her, and everything he said to her.

Who would she cling to? Cecil, now wearing Paladin armor. Whose light was so bright he was blinding.

Rosa didn't remember yet. But when she did, she would seek out Cecil's comfort. She would be drawn to the light, so similar to her own radiance. She would turn away from Kain and never turn back, and if she did, it would destroy him.

 _Perfect_ Cecil.

He could never wash away what he did. He could never undo it. It would be with him forever, and now it would be with the two of them forever, like a secret they could share in order to laugh at him.

If shame itself had a face, surely it was Kain's.

He knew he wore it well.

. . . It crossed his mind, more than once, that since she had forgotten, this was his chance. He had two options: he could slot himself into their already-growing friendship. He could be as nice as possible to her, make her grow to like him (however much it was compared to Cecil), and that way when she did remember his betrayal, it would be harder for her to hate him. Perhaps, if he was lucky, harder to believe at all. He could try to protect his image as much as possible and potentially begin some sort of road to redemption, and he could also be closer to her. Whether or not it ended in his favor anymore, he didn't care. He knew she would always choose Cecil over him. The two were fated to be together. But at least he could be closer to her.

Or, he could just let it be what it was, and face her scorn and her pity and her distancing like he knew he deserved. That would certainly be the honorable thing to do (not that he had much to spare), and it was certainly what he deserved. He was a traitor. He deserved no less than however she decided to react.

Take advantage of her, or face her judgment for the second time? It would ruin everything he could ever hope to have with her. Chance her friendship in a dishonorable way, or chance losing her forever?

He was still pondering one over the other, when he decided to return to Sanctuary.

When he touched the signet in the Cornelia Plains, he was whisked upwards, to the outside of Sanctuary's barrier. From where he was, he could see the most, if not all of the warriors, lined up along the invisible wall. He immediately looked for Cecil and Rosa, but neither of them were anywhere to be seen. Perhaps they were at the front of the group.

Kain jogged lightly to the barrier and pushed through it, but when he raised his eyes, he saw the two of them. Cecil was clad in his Dark Knight armor, crouched low and squaring off with his spear at the ready behind him. He was looking for the sparring partner when he saw her.

She had her eyes glued to the ground and was quickly picking arrows up off the ground around her. From the speed of her movements, she was Hastened. Rosa drew an arrow and held the bow, charging up the arrow. Then she raised her bow and loosed it far over Cecil's head. In the next instant, she was shooting arrow after arrow at Cecil, so fast Kain's eyes couldn't follow them.

The rippling of her muscles under her skin was mesmerizing. The form of her body so beautiful to watch. The fire was there, in her eyes, burning hot and bright, and Kain was content to simply watch her.

Until Cecil cried out.

Kain blinked himself back to awareness and realized that two of the shafts had embedded into Cecil's shoulder. The one she fired over his head was arcing around and racing back for him, too.

He didn't know what happened. Perhaps Cecil tried to push her to remember too much, too fast. Maybe he tried a romantic advance and she refused him? Either way, he didn't want them hurting each other.

For anybody's sake, out of the three of them.

Kain pushed forward, to the front of the crowd of warriors, but when he moved to take a step out into the battlefield, Cloud stepped up and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "They're just sparring."

Cloud removed his hand and Kain stood there, watching the two of them. The arrow coming from behind punched into the middle of Cecil's shoulders and sent him sprawling to the ground. She ran forward a step or two, said something to him, but he waved her off.

" . . . Is she doing well?" Kain asked. She seemed to be. Her movements seemed to be natural enough, with the occasional calculation's hesitation. She had Hastened herself, so perhaps she remembered some of her magic.

Rosa planted a Paralyze spell in Cecil's path, and it held successfully, trapping Cecil where he was. He struggled and grunted with the effort of breaking it.

Zidane answered his question. "Yeah, I think so! She's really powerful with that magic. Oh, man!" he yelled suddenly. "You shoulda seen her, Kain! She hit Cecil with this Confuse spell and he literally almost killed Bartz! It was amazing - scary, but amazing! What a lady, huh?" he asked, elbowing Kain in the hip due to their height difference.

The gods were toying with him. " . . . Yes," he said simply, crossing his arms over his chest as though to protect himself. Either that, or keep his true emotions locked down. He watched the rest of their fight, swearing in his heart to stay neutral no matter what she remembered of him, and when. Every stumble made his heart jump into his throat. Every pause Cecil gave her to recover tightened his chest. Did he dare approach her after this? With the chance that she remembered something about his betrayal? Every memory she received, he would be walking on eggshells.

What to do? Did he try to befriend her? Perhaps charm her out of a startling revelation later? Or did he let things play out as they would, and let her react as she would? At the end of their battle, he made his choice, and walked over towards her, even after Cecil sat down next to her and they started talking to each other.

* * *

 _ **A very Kain-centric chapter! Please leave a review if you have the time, and thanks to my beta-reader!**_

 _ **Classes started for me. I'm a senior in college, and I'll graduate in May. I'm hoping for an easy semester (I only have to take 17 credits as opposed to 21+), that leaves me with plenty of time to decompress and write. :)**_

 _ **Wishful thinking! Haha!**_  
 _ **~Keyblader**_


	19. Chapter 19

Cecil released her hand, and it felt like the world crashed around her. Adrenaline trembled in her hands and ankles. Its fists squeezed her heart, tighter and tighter, and she realized she was still gasping from stress and exertion. Her heightened senses could still see the patterns of the color in Cecils' irises, and the exactness of the sharp angles in his features. Details on the others, who were halfway across Sanctuary. She could hear each breath he took, the slight vibrating hum of the light ribbons that arced around them.

It made Sanctuary look fake. The water. The white rocks. The throne. _Too_ crisp to be real.

The wave of physical exhaustion washed over her, and the trembling grew more forceful. She sat down right where she was before her knees could give out, curling her legs underneath her. Her limbs felt dead, her hands disconnected from the rest of her. Just keeping her head level was testing her. She sighed and flopped in the water, lying flat on her back so she could breathe. Just breathe. In, out, in, out-

"Are you alright?" Cecil asked, awkwardly standing over her.

She nodded, closing her eyes. "Two battles and a really bad scare are starting to catch up to me," she told him. " _Please don't sit down with me_ ," she silently begged him. She needed time to rest. And then she needed time to process everything that she had just remembered. She entertained a brief thought of moving if he sat down, but immediately rejected the thought of getting up. Too much of a chore. She focused again on her breathing, listening carefully, but she didn't hear Cecil's footsteps splash away or leave. She cracked open her eyes just to check and she could still see his armored feet. He was half-turned away from her, probably in awkward politeness, but he was still there.

She debated on telling him that she just wanted to be _alone_ , but she was done with confrontation for the day. She didn't want to emotionally reengage him anyway. Instead, she kept her eyes open, and watched as the fine details and textures of Sanctuary blurred with her dulling senses. When she felt okay enough, she pushed herself back to a sitting position, surprised at how quickly stiffness set in her muscles. When she was situated, she scooped a few handfuls of water, splashing it on her face and over her shoulder. Was it acceptable to drink the Sanctuary water, she wondered. Her throat felt dry and swollen, and the air only seemed to make it worse. Luckily Cecil moved and saved her the trouble.

He sat next to her, plopping down with a tiny grunt, and from somewhere in his armor he produced a tiny water flask. He handed it to her and after she nodded her thanks she drank several gulps, nearly draining it before remembering it was his.

"Mm! Sorry-" she said, quickly holding it out. She wasn't even thinking, acting like a heathen in front of him.

"Drink as much as you need," he told her, gently pushing it back towards her. She thanked him, but still took careful, self-conscious sips. The two of them sat in (for once) comfortable silence. He waited calmly and patiently for her to relax herself and she was grateful for it, but at the same time she could feel the quiet, urgent undertone of his questions. Hanging in the air, just on the tip of his tongue, and Rosa knew that his politeness wasn't coming without self-restraint. She could feel his eyes on her, so Rosa kept her own eyes on the ground, on the flask in her hands, on Sanctuary - anywhere but him.

After what seemed like forever, she was breathing normally again. He finally asked, "What did you think of your first sparring match?"

She nodded, but still kept her eyes on the ground. "Good! It was good. I did okay . . . I think."

"You most definitely did," he told her. "Your accuracy with your bow was incredible. I don't think you misfired once. Your magic was well-executed, your battle sense and instincts are strong, and I felt a true challenge."

That made Rosa feel better about it, she supposed. She didn't feel as though she had done anything special, but if an experienced warrior told her she was a challenge, then maybe she had done better than she thought. And, she _had_ already beaten the Emperor. "Thank you. Much of that I just did on the spot. I didn't have to think about it." She was a little distracted by the memories forcing their way into her mind.

"I could tell. And the things you did think about were not selected arbitrarily."

" . . . _Except a bit of the magic_ ," she told herself, but didn't say it out loud. She didn't know how he would react to being Confused and almost hurting Bartz. She could tell him eventually.

"Before you left Sanctuary earlier, I was worried about you going off on your own. Nobody told you about the manikins, or the other Chaos warriors for that matter. I was going to go after you but Kain stopped me. He said you'd be fine on your own."

"Oh, really? What did he say?" she asked. Rosa had to stop herself from thinking of the worst case scenario, that Kain _wanted_ her to be alone, just because Kain was the one who said it. After she talked to Cecil earlier, she knew she had to give him a chance. The odds were he was just incredibly embarrassed by his betrayal. She locked down any negative thoughts before they could intrude.

"He said not to worry. That you are strong, you're smart, and you're extremely skilled! And he's right. I always knew it, even when we were children. But after sparring with you I've reaffirmed it. So, what all did you remember? Want to share?" There it was. The questions he was thinking of.

She didn't want to share. Not yet - no, not with _him_ , yet. Thoughts were still swimming in her head and she felt like she was disconnected from herself, as though she hadn't quite come back fully. She felt like she wasn't in her body and that the surroundings weren't quite real.

And the last memory she had confused her. Clearly her and Cecil were at the very least better friends than she had originally thought, but the feelings just weren't there. Instead, all she felt when she thought of him was uncomfortable. His constant presence and his persistent advances, though a relief in her first hours here, were now a little strange, and they mildly unsettled her. He was clearly _waiting_ for her to remember something, but there wasn't anything there to remember yet. In the meantime she was supposed to entertain his company.

Still, though, he looked so enthusiastic, like a child about to receive a present. She didn't quite have the heart to tell him no right then.

Very well. She would indulge him.

"Um, I saw the King of Baron after he sent you away. I sought an audience with him and asked him why he sent you to Mist. He was pretty angry with you."

"Yes. He was not himself. Golbez controlled him, too, but I didn't know that at the time. I could just tell that something wasn't right. After I questioned him, he grew enraged. He stripped me of my rank and of my command of the Red Wings, but rather than jail me for treason as he should have, he sent me away to Mist Village. That was when I- . . . Sorry! This isn't about me! I should be asking you questions! What else?"

"Well that's what drove me to leave. I remember staying awake and getting up to run away. But that was small." They were tiny clarifications, but already she could feel the knots unraveling in her mind. As much as she thought she didn't want to talk about it with Cecil, it actually felt relieving. "Aaaand," she trailed, trying to recall the next thing, "I remembered some magic - a lot of magic, actually. I knew Cure after battling the Emperor, but now I know Esuna which is _really_ powerful. I remember Paralyze, Silence, Confuse- by the way, I don't know if you knew, but I used a Confuse spell on you because I didn't know what it did and wanted to try it out. You should probably apologize to Bartz because you attacked him." She looked up at him to gauge his reaction.

"What?!" Cecil snapped, lowering his head to stare hard into her face. He immediately looked for Bartz amidst the other warriors on the other side of Sanctuary and went to get up, but Rosa grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Leave it. You can apologize later. It was White Magic, and you didn't know what you were doing. Bartz is fine. Anyway, Paralyze, Silence, Confuse, I already knew Protect and Shell and used them against the Emperor, Slow and Haste, Dispel and Libra, which I used against the Emperor, Teleport, and Holy."

Cecil nodded approvingly. "That's almost every spell. There are still a couple left, but they're not commonly used. I'm sure you'll remember the rest later."

Rosa took another drink from the flask. As her eyes roved around Sanctuary, she noticed that none of the other warriors had tried to make their way over to talk to her. They were speaking to each other, and some of them cast intrigued glances their way, like they were _wanting_ to say something, but they all remained politely on the other side. Even Cosmos looked like she wanted to talk to Rosa, staring at the two of them from her throne, where she returned to after the battle. It looked like Warrior had stopped everyone. He was standing in front of the group as though to shield Rosa and Cecil from them. Perhaps he said something. Asked them to give the two of them privacy.

"I remembered a lot of my skills, too, like that Homing Arrow, and the Ricochet Shot. Then . . . I remembered us traveling to Mount Hobbs, but I can't remember why. I can just see the image in my head. We went on some kind of raft-like craft. It took us across the shoals on the water and helped us reach the mountain."

"We went with Edward, and Rydia," Cecil confirmed. "Do you remember them at all?"

Rydia . . . Rydia.

 _"Rydia," Rosa said, kneeling before the child in front of her. "We need you now," she said, and she could hear the plea in her voice. She didn't try to mask it. "You're the only one who can melt this ice," she said, gently patting Rydia's tiny shoulders._

 _Rydia shook her hands off, lip curling out in a pout. "I can't! I hate fire! I hate it!" Her voice grew more and more frantic. She shook her head hard, refusing to look into Rosa's face, and her eyes began to glisten with tears. Rosa tried to lean down and make eye contact, but Rydia stared straight down at the ground and even turned away from her._

 _Cecil took a step forward, probably to say something to her, but Rosa waved him off. He was wearing his Dark Knight armor. His face looked like a frown, and he had horns coming off his helmet like a demon. Rosa knew he looked the same as when little Rydia's village burnt down. From what Cecil told her, it was his own fault. And though he was a caring person, Rosa knew it would be harder for her to listen to the comforts of the man who hurt her so grievously despite earning her trust afterwards. She could feel the panic rising up in her chest, making her heart flutter. They needed to get through this ice now, or more people could be harmed, and the crystal could be stolen if Golbez reached Fabul before they did. She swallowed thickly, literally swallowing down her fear, and smiled sympathetically at Rydia, hoping that even though she was only seven, she would catch the emotion Rosa placed in her eyes._

 _"Rydia, if we can't get through to Fabul, more people will be in danger."_

 _Rydia blinked heavily, and silently the tears started to fall down her cheeks. Rosa was losing this._

 _" . . ._ _Please, Rydia," she pleaded, one final time. She made her voice as soft as possible. As motherly as possible. As tender as she could be, as tender as she remembered her own mother could be when patching a wound, or caring for a sick person, or comforting her children._

 _" . . . " She didn't answer. Not for a long while. Just continued to cry silently. And even though she was crying, Rosa could see the struggle within her. It was one of the strongest things she'd ever seen. Rydia was battling something fierce inside of her. She was coming to terms with something that hurt her before._

 _Even Edward tried to help. "Rydia," he started. "You've helped me, you've helped Cecil, you've helped Rosa . . . You have the power to help many more people. Please, we need your strength and courage." He met eyes with Rosa and raised his eyebrows, searching for approval, and Rosa nodded._

 _" . . . "_

 _Suddenly, she whirled around. She shoved past Rosa and strode right up to the ice, as forcefully as her little legs could carry her. She raised her hands in the air, and screamed, "FIRE!"_

 _The ice in front of them burst into flames and melted._

 _Rosa's heart leapt for her, and for all of them."I knew you could do it!" she yelled, running forward. She and the others gathered around her, offering their praise as well. Rosa gently wiped the tears from her cheek and pulled her into a tight hug. Despite her tears, a small smile crossed Rydia's cheeks, and she even giggled at all of the attention._

" _Well done! Let's go!" Rosa said._

 _The four of them turned and continued on their way up the mountain path._

"I remember them," she told him. "She was a child. With green hair and pale skin. Really pretty. You, me, Edward, and Rydia needed to get to Fabul to try and protect the crystal from Golbez. There was ice in the way of the mountain path. There was ice in the way, and we needed Rydia to clear it. She was the only one who knew Black Magic."

"Yes - well, she was actually a summoner," he said. "She just also happened to know Black Magic."

"Yes. Something happened to her," she continued. "She hated fire, passionately. Her village burnt down. Right?" His smile fell instantly. He seemed to shrink down upon himself, and even leaned away from her as though she said something terribly grating. "What?"

" . . . What all do you know about that?" he asked her. Even his voice had gotten quiet.

"Not much," she offered hesitantly. "Her village burnt down, and you were there when it happened. That's all I know. I know from the memory that you told me about it, but I don't remember what was said, or the time surrounding when you told me." She wanted to add, 'You blamed yourself,' after it. But he had such a horrible reaction to her very mention of it that she didn't want to upset him any further. She bit her tongue and held it in, unwilling to harm him.

"I . . . " he started. "I wasn't just there. I was responsible for it. Kain and I were sent to Mist Village with a ring. A Carnelian Signet. After fighting our way though the Mist Cave, Kain and I encountered the Mist Dragon, which we battled fiercely. We killed the dragon, we arrived in Mist, and the ring activated. It was . . . actually a Bomb Ring," he spat bitterly, eyes rolling and looking at the ground. "The Bombs set fire to everything. Every building, every home, blowing things up and even . . . people. A lot of people . . . a lot of people in Mist Village burned that day."

She looked up into his face, but his eyes were distant, like he himself was being overtaken by the memory of it. He looked so heartbroken, and Rosa pitied him. He clearly still held on to a bit of the guilt, even after all this time, and she pitied the fact that he was involved, and she pitied his remorse. He couldn't even look at her, and she understood the full extent of how much it weighed on him.

"You blame yourself," she said, out loud this time, and the sorrow she felt for him seemed to make her heart heavy.

"I do," he said. "I blame myself for the village and for . . . murdering . . . all those people in the King's name. And I blame myself for Rydia's mother. The Mist Dragon was her Eidolon. When we killed it, we killed her as well."

"I'm sorry," she said, unsure of what else to say.

"I don't want you to think any less of me," Cecil replied quickly, spitting the words out as though Rosa had already made up her mind. "And that's why I didn't tell you everything about Mist Village right away, only that we were sent there. It was the driving reason behind why I became a Paladin. To me, that armor was the pride of a heartless King, and the symbol of a man who would kill on an order, even if he knew it was wrong. Becoming a Paladin was about shedding my guilt and atoning in any way I could."

She felt the urge to comfort him, but when she tried to think of the right thing to say, the words didn't come to her. She settled on, "I don't think less of you. You're a good man, I think."

She didn't know why, but that only seemed to make him sadder. "I was too weak to disobey back then. So I rid myself completely of the Dark armor and the weak man I was. Imagine my surprise when I awoke here with it. Cosmos returned it to me."

"She probably did not know what it meant," Rosa tried.

"I know she didn't. But I still thought that surely it was a punishment for something. Or a sign that the man who I was hadn't disappeared, or that there was darkness in my heart, or something."

". . . Yes, but . . . " she started, trailing off to make sure she was saying the right thing. "Armor is only a casing for your body. All you do is wear it for protection. It doesn't define you. Especially not if you've made the efforts that you have. I think that . . . who you are now-" No, that was fairly presumptuous. She only knew a little bit of him. "From what I know of who you are now," she quickly remedied, "you have atoned. You've surrounded yourself with light, and you now have a connection to this Paladin armor. Sure, the Dark Knight represents who you were once and maybe you're not proud of that person, but the current you inside of it isn't bound by it anymore. You just need to wear it sometimes for protection."

"Thank you," he said, but from the tone of his voice he didn't actually feel any better.

"Do you regret even wearing it again? Even though it doesn't mean anything anymore? Even though it's just a power you sometimes employ?"

"I don't know. Sometimes."

She didn't know what else to say to that. She hummed a sound of acknowledgement, and let the conversation drop while he fought through his internal struggle. After another few moments, he sighed heavily and shook his head. "Boy, this took a serious turn! And once again I've made it about me. Sorry."

"That's okay!" she told him honestly. "Either way, I learn a little something about you. And maybe that could bring back some memories, too Despite how I come off, sometimes, I would eventually like to get to know you." The corner of his mouth upturned into a half-hearted half-smile.

"Still, let's backtrack," he said. "Tell me more. What else do you remember?"

"I remember the Tower of Zot collapsing around us. That's how I remembered Teleport."

"Do you remember how you got there?" Cecil asked. She didn't. Rosa looked away and took another glance at the rest of Sanctuary when she noticed Kain striding forcefully towards them. The only one who had broken away from the crowd. His face was a hidden mask as usual, with the exception of his frown that seemed to always be there. He was coming over to talk to them.

"No. I don't have any of the details." Getting closer and closer. "Only that we had to escape." A few steps from them. "And the last thing I remembered was . . . Hi," Rosa said curtly.

"Lady Rosa," Kain said, nodding his head. "May I join you?"

"Of course!" Cecil said, gesturing to the other side of Rosa. She shot him a glare, hoping he would see how rude he was being. She was sharing something personal about herself and he just invited Kain into the conversation. He probably heard what she had been saying up to that point, too, so he would know that if she ducked out, she didn't trust him. Cecil didn't catch it.

Kain sat down next to her, but as though he felt the awkwardness of the interrupted conversation, he put a small bit of distance between them. "You did well in the fight, Rosa."

"Thank you. Cecil was a tough opponent. He landed a few solid hits."

"Yes, and you hit me back, just as hard," he countered.

"I was lucky, a lot. And it wasn't a real fight. Not like with the Emperor."

"You battled the Emperor?" Kain asked.

"Ah, you weren't here when she got back, Kain," Cecil said. "You went off by yourself. She did battle with the Emperor and won."

Kain nodded approvingly. "I don't doubt it. Your magic is very powerful. Even when we were children it was powerful. I'm sure that you will be integral to our success in the battles," Kain said. To Rosa it sounded stiff and formal. Like necessary small-talk. He had something else he wanted to tell her, but she couldn't even try to guess it without seeing his face.

The conversation lulled for a moment, and to fill the silence Rosa took another long drink from the flask. She emptied it, handing it back to Cecil, and he muttered his thanks.

" . . . Anyway, you were saying . . . ?" Cecil asked, prompting her to finish.

She mentally cursed, staring hard at Cecil. He met her eyes, and she shook her head 'no' as subtly as possible, hoping not to alert Kain. Cecil's eyebrows furrowed and he cocked his head to the side like a little puppy.

He didn't get it.

She really didn't see a way out of telling them. She sighed heavily, and finished what she was saying. "The last thing I remember is collapsing from the Desert Fever. _And that last one about Cecil_ ," she added silently, but that memory would never see the light of day if she could help it. From what she could tell, her and Cecil were probably better friends than she had originally thought. What the difficult, even embarrassing, thing about it was that she did not remember any of it.

Like knowing someone for days, and then forgetting their name. Which, she supposed, happened to her but in the long run.

He was acting like she _should_ remember. He was acting like, if she could permit herself to be dramatic for a second, his entire being depended upon her remembering. What was the extent of their friendship? How deeply did their ties go?

"I wasn't there for that, was I?" Kain asked. Rosa didn't know what he was talking about for a second, before she realized that the last thing she mentioned was the Desert Fever.

Cecil paused to think about it, then shook his head. "No, that's right. You weren't. It was after Mist Village. I was only with Rydia, and then we brought Edward back with us."

An idea sparked in Rosa's mind when Kain said that. There was one memory she still hadn't told anyone about, because it had never come up. The one she had when she was battling the Emperor, of Golbez taking her away. The images felt blurry around the edges and the panic she felt was distant, but she knew that Kain had been there for it. She had seen him there, in that glass room where she was standing.

She wanted to know more about Kain and his betrayal. She could mention it, just to see how he reacted. If it had anything to do with his previous betrayal or Golbez's control, as Cecil put it, then his reaction would tell her everything.

"There's one more."

Kain and Cecil both perked up, but while Cecil popped up with interest, Kain's spine seemed to stiffen. Cecil looked excited to hear it while Kain's frown deepened.

"It came back to me when I was fighting the Emperor. We were in a completely glass room, and it was really bright. Cecil, you were injured, I think. I remember you lying on the ground in front of me."

She paused, just so she could watch their reactions. Cecil's happy face fell, but more in a sort of caution than in pain like when she mentioned Rydia. He nodded once, slowly. Almost carefully. He maintained her eye contact, but then his eyes flicked briefly to Kain and she had her answer. It had to do with his betrayal. "Kain, you were on the other side of the room, near a Crystal." His mouth opened, like he wanted to say something, then decided against it.

"I don't really remember right before that, but all of a sudden I heard a voice behind me. He said something about you cherishing me, and then he grabbed me and took me away. Kain, you were there, right?"

"I- . . . "

"Do you remember?-"

He stood up so fast, Rosa didn't see it until he was towering above her. "I must go. You did well, Lady Rosa." He offered a slight tip of his head and spun on his heels, walking away. She got up too, dragging herself to her feet despite how sore she felt from the battle. When she was upright, she swayed against a momentary dizzy spell but pushed through, chasing after him.

"Wait, Kain!" she yelled, and she let a bit of the frustration she felt for it all darken her tone and empower her voice.

"No. I know what you're doing!"

"I don't know what-"

"Do not feign innocence! You're trying to corner me. You asked me about that on purpose," he snarled, without looking at her.

"So what if I did? It's not the first thing I've remembered about you! I know you betrayed us, once!" He didn't reply, but lowered his head and tightened his shoulders, like he was trying to duck away from her. She took two more steps, then yelled, "You helped Golbez _kidnap_ me! You owe me an explanation!"

He recoiled like he was struck, but finally paused. He glanced over his shoulder and stared for a moment. " . . . I owe you _nothing_. I live with the shame every day, and I will _not_ suffer under your deliberate hand. Not yours, nor anyone else's. Ask _Cecil_ if you wish to know. I'm sure he can provide you with every little detail."

"He told me to ask you. Refused to tell me," she countered evenly.

Kain rolled his eyes. "Forgive me. Of _course_ I would need Cecil to preserve my image," he muttered under his breath, but Rosa heard all the same. He turned fully towards her. Took a small step and leaned towards her with his shoulder, like he still couldn't fully face her. "Cecil would never say anything bad about _anyone_ , no." He took another step. "He would prefer I ruin myself." His voice deepened into a low growl, like a threatened animal. With each word his lips pulled back to bare his teeth. Just like that awful sneer he made to her in her very first memory of Kain. Instinctually, she took a step back, thinking for a moment he would attack her. Her hand snuck towards the knife on her hip, but in three more steps, he completely closed the distance between the two of them. He reached out and snatched her wrist hard, keeping it still between them. Just like the Emperor did. "He would've wanted me to say it myself, so I could tarnish my own reputation. What else do you remember about me, hm?" he yelled.

They were chest to chest, with him leaning down over her, and he was breathing hard enough that she could feel it on her face. " _Let. me. go_ ," she whispered, not even trying to hide the fear in her eyes or the tiniest tremble in her voice.

He swallowed hard, adam's apple bobbing from the force of it. He seemed to pause, and Rosa could feel the hesitation in his aura. On his next exhale he sighed. His shoulders relaxed, he straightened his back and his head and stood up straight, backing off of her. Releasing her wrist in the process, and Rosa held it close to her chest.

"Perhaps you're doing yourself a favor. By not remembering me." He turned and walked away, and she let him, thinking there was nothing else to be said at the moment.

At the last moment, she yelled, "Cecil is not the one to blame for what you did, and neither am I for remembering it!"

The silence after felt deafening, roaring in her ears as the other warriors looked on. She didn't know if anyone heard anything except for the last bit that she yelled, but either way they were trying to listen. She watched Kain as he left, leaving Sanctuary's border.

Rosa returned to Cecil's side, and he glanced apologetically up at her. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't," she cut him off, "Don't apologize for him. He already resents that enough, and besides he doesn't deserve it."

"What did he say?"

"That it figures he would need you to preserve his image. He said you'd rather him tarnish his own reputation."

Cecil looked away, to the spot where he disappeared, and sighed. "I've never done anything to purposefully-" he started, to defend himself to her.

"Oh, I know," she told him. "He was jealous ever since we were children. I think," she said. That was just the feeling she got from it, but Cecil's small nod confirmed it.

"You know we forgave him, right? You did, first. He told us he was under Golbez's spell, but all he wanted was to keep y-" Cecil cut himself off, realizing he was doing the very thing Kain was upset about.

"Tell me."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I cannot. Please, I really don't want to speak poorly of him-"

"Fine, then. Don't tell me. I don't care if I forgave him then. I don't forgive him right now. How could I possibly know any details outside of what comes back to me, piece by piece? And how could he be upset that it's coming back to me? If he did something negative, and I remember something negative about him-"

"Well think about how that makes him feel, Rosa! He did an awful thing, that he feels awful about! One moment he's forgiven, and the next you're trying to trap him. Or force him to admit to it all over again after he already did and was forgiven once!"

"I wasn't trying to _trap_ him-"

"Yes, you were! By purposefully telling him just to see how it would affect him? Rosa, that was a bit cruel."

"I just wanted him to talk about it and explain to me what happened!"

"Then you went about it poorly, with no thought to him. You knew he was struggling with it - I told you he was when we spoke before we sparred. I told you he was ashamed."

"He didn't think about us when he was-"

" _Controlled_ , Rosa. When he was _controlled_."

She didn't know him. At that moment, it didn't matter to her if she hurt him. She didn't know him well enough to know what did or didn't upset him, and she didn't know him well enough to care for either. "All I'm doing is trying to remember, okay? I don't know you, I don't know him, I don't even know _myself_. Don't you understand how frustrating it is? Didn't you both go through this, too? Or am I the only one who has felt this way? This cheated? I feel like I've been stolen away from myself." She stood up and went to pat herself a little bit dry, but she was surprised to find that her clothes were already dry. The water didn't saturate. "I am going to do whatever it takes to remember everything I can, as quickly as possible. Either help me with it, or don't. Thank you for the information you've provided so far. I'd like to talk to the others now."

She started walking back towards the rest of them, and when she met Warrior's eyes she nodded slightly. He nodded back and spoke to the others, then gestured to Rosa. They all made their way over to her, with Firion intercepting her first.

"Well done, Rosa!"

"Thank you!" she said brightly, attempting to smile, but she was so angry she couldn't even manage a false one.

"I loved what you did with the ricochet arrow. That was clever!"

"Thank you. I really didn't have to think about it. I just remembered it, and it was like second nature."

Warrior nodded is head, as though to agree. "We could tell. Your natural battle senses were strong, as was your decision-making therein. Your confidence and lack of hesitation is reassuring."

Rosa hadn't felt like she was confident at all. But she still humbly accepted the compliment. Everybody seemed to think she did well. Watching a fight was most definitely different than experiencing it. Still, their comments were reassuring. From what Cecil and Warrior said, her translation of action-to-reaction was quick, and smart. Her skills, as they came to her, were accurate and well-placed.

"I wanna know what you were thinking when you Confused Cecil," the little Onion Knight asked.

"What do you mean?" Rosa asked him.

"You didn't think it was cheap?" He crossed his arms and rested his finger over his chin, like he was contemplating something very deep and philosophical. Either he didn't realize how rude he was being, or he was trying to berate her. Rosa bristled against it.

"Bartz and Cecil both said anything at our disposal."

"Yeah, but he wasn't ready. That's dishonorable."

"Dishonorable-?" Rosa started, but Warrior came to her defense.

"He let his guard down," Warrior defended again. "Had it been a real battle, a slip like that could have cost him his life. He is lucky they were only sparring."

" . . . Well _I_ still think it was a cheap shot," Onion grumbled.

Ugh, she didn't want to deal with this. "Well next time you spar with Cecil, don't use Confuse against him," she spat back, matter-of-factly. She turned away from him, and met eyes with Yuna who stepped forward with Tidus.

"Rosa, you must show me how you make your spells so powerful! I know some White Magic myself, but it's nowhere near your level!"

"Thank you. I just sort of feel it in my heart and direct it. And the crystal in the staff helps. I don't know much about myself, but I know that I've trained ever since I could say a spell. I appreciate the fact that it seems to have paid off. Especially since I remembered much of it on the fly during the match."

"You couldn't even tell," Tidus said, and she nodded her thanks. "Seriously! I woulda guessed you'd been here for a while. You looked totally comfortable out there. Can't wait til you start scouting with us!"

Zidane pushed his way through everyone and slid next to her grabbing her hand. "Dare I say it, Rosa, but you . . . are one. powerful. woman." He kissed her hand before she could pry it from his grasp, but after he did she shook him off.

"Oh, go flatter someone else," she said, only half-kidding. He didn't seem bothered by it, and simply cocked an eyebrow up as though she was just playing hard to get. "Bartz!" she yelled, looking around the crowd for him.

"Yeah?" he said, emerging suddenly.

"Did you learn anything? Weren't you watching us so you could mime our skills?"

"Oh, yeah! I learned a bunch! Check this out." Bartz held out his hand, and a weapon took shape in his hand. It solidified, and Rosa saw that he was holding an exact replica of her own bow. Complete with the two sets of arms, and the roses and thorns tangled around it. He pulled the string back and an arrow formed on the string. Bartz loosed it in perfect form - no, she realized, perfect copy of _her_ form. He even kept the pinky of her draw hand off the string like she did.

The arrow flew and hit the ground, bursting open into two. Her Ricochet Shot.

"That's incredible!" she said, and she meant it. "You don't even have to have a basis for the skill. What else?"

"Oh! Watch this!" he pulled his hands to his chest, closing his eyes just like she did when she powered up a spell. His stance matched hers exactly, with her left foot slightly behind her right. Bartz spread his hands and a faint green light wrapped around him.

"That's Cure!" she said, and he nodded.

"Yep! I know all the levels, but I don't want to use up all my magic."

"Nah, he just didn't want to show you up, Rosa," Vaan joked, gently punching her arm. "You did great out there!"

"Yes, well done," Cosmos agreed. "Your magical talent is a true gift to this world, and to your allies."

Oh. Wow. That was some lofty praise. Rosa didn't know what to say. "Thank you, for those . . . kind words," she said awkwardly. "I will use my talent to the best of my ability." It would be interesting to know exactly how Cosmos thought she measured up. Surely, as a goddess, she'd been there since this world's creation. She was the one who summoned warriors-

" _So_ ," Rosa thought suddenly, " _she'd have to know enough about us to deem us worthy. She would have been here when her warriors had no memories, and she would have been here when they remembered_."

Rosa chastised her for her lack of knowledge about the fighting, but maybe all she did was oversee the warriors. She could ask Cosmos about Kain, since Cecil refused to tell her and Kain was too ashamed to admit it himself. "Cosmos, I was hoping to speak to you about something, privately. Do you mind?"

Cosmos smiled sweetly and nodded once, the corners of her blue eyes crinkling. "Of course. Everyone, away," she said. As soon as they were a safe distance from them, Cosmos looked up at Rosa. "How may I be of assistance?"

* * *

 _ **I've been assured by my beta that there is nothing wrong with this chapter but for some reason I'm still very 'meh' about it. Maybe it's because I just finished writing a high-action chapter in Cecil and Rosa's fight scene. Maybe it's because the action will pick up really soon! Regardless, leave a review if you have the time.**_


	20. Chapter 20

Ultimecia was sneaky. Too sneaky for the Emperor's comfort.

Still, he thought, she agreed. And she even agreed to kill Rosa without payment. What was it she said? 'I'll do it, but not for you,' or something to that effect. He'd just have to keep an eye on her. And he could, now that she had personally agreed to free up some of his time.

Ultimecia, Exdeath, and Kefka. Three of the most ruthless within Chaos' ranks. Rosa would be dead within days.

The Emperor uncrossed his legs and inched forward to the edge of his seat. He slumped forward to rest his elbows on his knees, but the slight tug on his side where she stabbed him caught his breath. It was still tender and bruised, and the skin wasn't quite healed yet. He jerked upright, then placed a hand over it to steady it as he jammed his elbows on his thighs and propped his chin up on his fist. Damned girl! Dead within days.

No reason to think about her anymore. No reason to see her anymore.

Totally rid of her.

Instead, he could think about his real plan. His plan to destroy Cosmos and Chaos.

He roved his eyes across the room, the top floor of his Pandaemonium. Watched the crystals sit there, unmoving. In the same positions they'd been in since he awoke in this wretched world. He looked up at the black, star-peppered sky, with all the galaxies and all the shapes in the exact same positions.

This unchanging world almost wasn't worth it.

The power was, he thought, but not the world. Once he defeated Chaos and replaced him on the throne of Discord, he would be the one calling warriors, and he would be the one amassing power with victory after victory. An unlimited source of energy.

Unimpeded by Rosa.

He wouldn't have to worry about her interrupting him ever again. He wouldn't have to think about her refusal ever again. The way she humiliated him. Made him look weak. No one would ever make him feel like that again.

She'd be dead within days.

" _Rrgh_!" he growled aloud, standing up from the throne to pace his tension off. With revenge on her occupying his thoughts, he'd never advance. But what else could he do, at this point, besides think on revenge?

Dead within days. If it was all the same . . . he could go see her. Just one more time. One last time.

For strategic reasons, of course.

He could warn Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath of her strengths and weaknesses. Her powerful magic and her skill with the bow. As if to remind him, his chest ached gently, where each of the five arrow shafts nearly punched through him. If he went and saw her, he could scope out her patterns and give them a heads up. How often she rested or patrolled. If it was at the same time every time unit. How much she had learned from her battle with him.

He could tell them about how she functioned within Cosmos' ranks. How much of her memory had returned - and would it help or hinder her?

Yes, he could go see her.

The Emperor called his staff from where he rested it against the side of his throne, and as soon as it sailed into his hand he teleported away from the world.

It never took much effort to find Order's Sanctuary. The brightness was easy to spot - the perfect beacon it was meant to be to those lost and confused souls who were first called here. Compared to the intensity of the blackness and silence that the Emperor had to pass through to teleport to the Edge of Madness, going to Order's Sanctuary was passing through clouds. He pictured it in his mind, and when he stepped through the portal, the white lights shined in his face and glared in his eyes. He touched ground just outside of the domed barrier, and took refuge behind a large white rock that sat on the outer rim.

He prayed none of them saw him. He had no way of knowing. He was momentarily blinded, and he couldn't see the direction that any of them were looking. While he blinked his way to sight, he flicked his hand and masked his presence, making himself invisible.

He did his best to calm his pounding heart, but when he moved to step out from behind the rock, it still soared into his throat and sat right at the bottom. Pulsing there and choking him. He leaned out from behind his cover and peeked into Sanctuary, and saw many, if not all, of the warriors crowded together, all with their backs to him. Good. They hadn't seen him.

She was shorter than many of them. If she were in the center, he'd never find her.

And he wanted to see her. Just this one last time - for strategic reasons!

The Emperor stepped completely out from behind the rock and gently walked along the outside of the barrier, craning his neck this way and that, standing on his toes, doing all that he could to try and see to the center of the crowd. What were they all doing there, anyway?

Even Cosmos was there, standing next to the Warrior near the front. He couldn't see her directly, but her aura that haloed around her was unmistakable. The Emperor was ready to float the entire way above Sanctuary, or at least walk completely around so he could see all of their faces if he had to, but then . . .

There she was.

Not in the crowd, no. She was in the center of Sanctuary. She had the bow in her hands. The one she so effortlessly turned against him. For the first time the Emperor fully noticed how intricate and beautifully crafted it was, but it only held his attention for seconds at a time. Over and over his eyes flicked right back to her face.

She looked ragged. Exhausted. An incredible contrast to when he first laid eyes on her and yet . . . rather than diminish her beauty it only gave her a wild and untamed quality that was more frightening. Her hands clutched at that bow, white-knuckled and stiff, and she was slightly hunched over in a self-conscious but defensive position. Her hair, so loosely gathered, was cast haphazardly over her shoulder. Her mouth was open, and she panted in breath after labored breath.

But her eyes. Her eyes were alight with fire and adrenaline. They flicked back and forth across Order's Sanctuary over and over, and he caught another glimpse of the cold and raw power she used to defeat him. They were wide, but fearless. Calculating, and despite the rest of her looking ready to run, her eyes were engaged.

How in the _world_ did she pull it off? How did she manage to make even the most undignified of circumstances dignified? Who gave her the right to be so beautiful? So above this world and so above everyone in it that she felt justified in refusing him?!

His rage heightened, nearly setting a fire in his heart before a cold air on his face forced him to blink, and he realized he almost let his façade slip. He quickly called his power and masked himself again, renewing the energy he poured into the spell.

That bow. The bow she used to shoot him in the face. In the chest.

Just to spite him, the tiny scar, a perfectly straight line on his cheek from the tip of the arrow scratching into his skin, sparked an itch. He gently scratched at it with a clawed finger.

He would never be made to feel that weak ever again. Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath would make sure of that. He would knock her off of whatever pretty pedestal she had elevated herself to and she would feel his pain. She would feel his shame and humiliation, and it would be the last thing she felt before her very existence was erased.

Bravo to whomever or whatever had her so uncharacteristically flustered compared to the one time he saw her and the one experience he had with her. Even then she had the look of pure power. Already he could see that she had grown since then. Already her aura seemed more confident despite looking so ragged. The Emperor saw movement from the corner of his eye, and when he looked, it was Cecil running at her with his spear twisted around behind his back.

Ah, so she was sparring with Cecil. Significantly more nervous than when she fought the Emperor. Nervous because of him? Nervous because the others were watching, perhaps? Nervous because she was losing? He wished he saw this from the beginning. If Cecil was giving her a reckoning he would've loved to be there to see it. Even better would be giving it to her himself. But he already gave the special honor to Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath. This would suffice until those three made it to her.

Rosa closed her eyes, and the Emperor watched as she whispered a small spell to herself. He read the energy, but couldn't tell what the spell was right away. At first he thought it was a healing spell, but the energy was harsh and cold. So she learned other magic. She completed it, and he could sense the slight buzz of Haste around her. She looked around and began picking up the strewn arrows around her - those that accidentally missed their mark, he thought bitterly. When she felt she had enough, Rosa drew and fired one strong, powerful shot over Cecil's head and then two more directly at him. The Emperor followed the first one as it sailed through the air.

It was odd that she mis-fired. She was too skilled for that.

Right as the thought entered his head the arrow circled widely in the air and changed direction, heading straight towards Cecil's back. The two she shot at him has already punched into his armor, too fast for him to dodge while she was Hastened. The Emperor watched the last one slam right between his shoulder blades and send him chest-first into the water.

He moved to drag himself out of the water and she yelled something to Cecil. He was glad he was too far away to hear it. He didn't want to hear her voice. He was sure it would remind him of their discussion when he first saw her and he didn't want to think on that.

When Cecil was upright and charging at her again, Rosa muttered under her breath again. The Emperor felt the cold chill of her power grow within her, and when she opened her eyes she directed the spell in front of Cecil. He ran right into it, and it clung to his armor and body, halting him in place.

A perfect Paralyze spell.

Though, if he had to guess, she was guessing, and trying to play it off. That's what had her so nervous.

She stood there and watched him squirm and struggle to break free of the spell. But she didn't attack him.

" _How like her_ ," he thought bitterly. " _The enemy is still and defenseless. How like her it is to give him a chance_." Especially someone like Cecil.

Cecil managed to break the Paralysis by shifting to his Paladin class, but he immediately shifted back to his Dark Knight to send a Dark Flame at her. Rosa stumbled, as though she didn't know what to do, and the Emperor's anticipation rose and rose as it drew closer and closer. She froze completely, just for a moment, and the Emperor thought for sure it was going to hit her. And then, at the last second, she regained herself.

She raised one hand in the air and yelled, "Teleport!" as loud as she could. There was a flash, too bright for the Emperor's eyes, and he had to shield his face. When he opened his eyes, she was-

Right in front of him.

He let out a gasp before he could help himself, and scrambled away, clutching his ribs and holding his staff straight out at her in case she attacked. The chill of blind panic stabbed into his neck and spread violently through his whole body and he froze, waiting for her to see him and make a move.

She opened her eyes, glanced _right at him_ , staring straight through him with her sharp emerald eyes, and muttered, "Cecil."

She looked around him, like she didn't even see him. The Emperor sat perfectly still. He ignored the sharp pain in his side from the sudden movements, now catching up with him as the shock faded. His own breath gasped with hers. His eyes were wide like hers. She looked right at him, but didn't seem to see him.

She turned back around and instead glanced at the other warriors, and at Cecil as he ran towards her.

"Well done!" he yelled.

It took the Emperor a full minute to remember that he had masked himself. He was still outside the barrier and he had masked himself. She didn't see him. All the air flew out of his chest and he sighed in relief. He put a hand to his chest as though that could stop his pounding heart.

The two of them were talking, saying something else to each other, but he wasn't listening. He was trying to calm himself down from the absolute terror he felt a moment ago. When he felt he was calm enough, he finally tuned in to their conversation.

"I collapsed in the middle of a desert?" she asked Cecil. "How did anybody find me?"

"You weren't minutes from Kaipo before you collapsed. Luckily, a traveler found you and took you to their home. They let you stay there while you recovered."

"Oh," she said, unsure of what else to say.

"I was worried sick about you." Ugh. The words were bitter in the Emperor's ears. So she and Cecil knew each other from before this world. They were from the same world. And, the Emperor realized, considering Cecil knew all these details, they had traveled together. "Rydia, Edward, and I were able to cure you, but it was close. Your fever was far too high, and wouldn't break. You wouldn't stop calling for me. It was heartbreaking. But you were fine! The three of us went and found what we needed to cure you. Almost immediately you insisted upon coming with us to our next destination. I refused, of course, but that stubborn streak . . . " Cecil trailed off, with a small smile on his face like he just shared an inside jest with her. The Emperor scanned Rosa's face, but she did not react in the slightest . There wasn't any sort of change in her face. "Are you good to keep going?" Cecil asked her, and he reached out and touched her arm.

Rosa flinched, and her eyes glazed over, growing suddenly distant. The Emperor knew that look. She was remembering something. It only took a second, before she shook her head and glanced up at Cecil. Her cheeks were red and hot with embarrassment, and if the Emperor had to guess, she remembered something she was sheepish about.

"A-actually," she told him, "I think I'm done."

"Oh!" Cecil said brightly, but the Emperor heard in his tone how disappointed he was.

Interesting.

Cecil knew her from before. They were travel companions - probably on Cecil's journey but it could have been any other time, too. He was sparring with her to help her remember. Very interesting. Those memories meant a lot to Cecil, apparently.

Cecil held his hand out to her, always the perfect gentleman, and she lifted hers, allowing him to take it. He kissed her hand, and told her, "You did well, Lady Rosa. I look forward to our next encounter."

"Thank you." She paused, then ripped her hand from his and curtseyed. "Until our next encounter."

Dear _Cecil_ was a whole other matter to the Emperor entirely. The Emperor barely gave any of the other warriors besides Firion the time of day, but he particularly despised those 'perfect' types - those like Firion, who fit seamlessly into the 'knight in shining armor' trope that came straight from courtly fairy tales. Goodness and light for the sake of goodness and light. Those 'infallible' people, who never said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing simply because they weren't supposed to. Cecil, so pure and naïve and untouchable, too. He knew others on Chaos' side shared his feelings. The fact that he was Golbez's brother was common knowledge by that point, simply because Golbez never stopped talking about it. How very proud he was to have someone like Cecil, pure enough to redeem them both.

Golbez told him that Cecil was the King of Baron, and how he carried himself like a king. With his chin up and his shoulders back like he still had a crown to balance on his head. His thick white hair spilled all around him and his armor giving him an even more regal air. He definitely possessed that kingly persona that Firion, the Onion Knight, and even the Warrior of Light lacked. He was on another level.

No matter. He could be a King all he wanted. The Imperial title still out-ranked him.

Their match was over, and the Emperor returned from his thoughts to see that Rosa had wandered away a bit, with Cecil following close behind her. She had collapsed weakly into the water, and lay there to catch her breath.

He should have left. He had nothing more to see. The Emperor missed the good parts of their sparring match, and he hadn't learned anything new about her. He couldn't have said what made him decide to stay. A renewed reminder of the knowledge that this could be the last time he would ever see her, perhaps. A desire to continue to watch her in a moderately vulnerable state. A hope she would disagree further with Cecil, maybe?

But either way, he was glad he stayed.

He double-checked that his masking spell was still in order, and passed through Sanctuary's barrier. He kept the Warrior of Light and Cosmos in his peripheral, since they were the ones to likely notice his presence even with the spells covering him. Luckily for him, they were talking to each other, and to the other warriors who were still clustered by the barrier. They would be distracted for a while. He made his way over to Cecil and Rosa.

They made small talk while she collected herself. She hydrated herself from Cecil's canteen, she sprinkled herself with Sanctuary's water to cool herself down. She combed the loose hairs that fell out of her braid back with her fingers, and the Emperor kept his eyes on hers. He watched that sharpness there retreat until she was left with the dullness of exhaustion.

He watched her. This would be the last time he would ever see her. Even watching her talk, comb her hair, take a drink, felt special. He would actively try to forget her after this, and he would actively try to forget these little things. So it was okay to enjoy them, he told himself. The gentle lap of the water. The tones of her voice - the way her mouth formed the words.

He only started paying attention to what she said when Cecil recoiled like he was struck.

"What all do you know about that?" he asked her. The Emperor missed something important. Something so bad that even pure Cecil was ashamed.

"Not much," Rosa told him. "Her village burnt down, and you were there when it happened. That's all I know. I know from the memory that you told me about it, but I don't remember what was said, or the circumstances surrounding when you told me."

"I . . . I wasn't just there. I was responsible for it." The Emperor was burning to know whatever 'it' was. Cecil, admitting blame? Infallible Cecil! "Kain and I were sent to Mist Village with a ring. A Carnelian Signet. After fighting our way through Mist Cave, Kain and I encountered the Mist Dragon, which we battled fiercely. We killed the dragon, we arrived in Mist, and the ring activated. It was actually a Bomb Ring," Cecil said, and he looked at the ground. The Emperor quickly tried to stock this information as quickly as possible. Who knew he'd receive this much fodder against Cecil?

"The Bombs set fire to everything. Every building, every home, blowing things up and even . . . people. A lot of people . . . a lot of people in Mist Village burned that day."

Cecil had _killed_ people. The good King had actually killed people. Interesting.

"You blame yourself," Rosa told more than asked him.

"I do," he said. "I blame myself for the village and for murdering all those people in the King's name. And I blame myself for Rydia's mother. The Mist Dragon was her eidolon. When we killed it, we killed her as well."

Ugh, this was incredible! Did Golbez even know of his brother's past evils?

"I'm sorry," she tried.

"I don't want you to think any less of me," Cecil said, "And that's why I didn't tell you everything about Mist Village right away, only that we were sent there. It was the driving reason behind why I became a Paladin. To me, that armor was the pride of a heartless King, and the symbol of a man who would kill on an order, even if he knew it was wrong. Becoming a Paladin was about shedding my guilt and atoning in any way I could."

Cecil really cared about Rosa's opinion of him. The Emperor stocked that bit of information, too. Sure, it was in relation to Rosa, who would be gone within days but he could probably use it to manipulate Cecil at some point if he ever needed something from him.

"I don't think less of you," she told him. That also piqued the Emperor's interest. He could have been looking deeply into it just because it was her, but either that was a token response, or they had a relationship outside of their travels. "You're a good man, I think."

The 'I think' reminded the Emperor that no matter what happened, she didn't remember it. Perhaps he was looking too deeply into it. Perhaps Cecil's fear stemmed from him thinking she remembered only the poor part of the village burning down.

"I was too weak to disobey back then. So I rid myself completely of the Dark armor and the weak man I was. Imagine my surprise when I awoke here with it. Cosmos returned it to me."

"She probably did not know what it meant," Rosa said.

"I know she didn't. But I still thought that surely it was a punishment for something. Or a sign that the man who I was hadn't disappeared, or that there was darkness in my heart, or something."

" . . . Yes, but . . . " Rosa started. After moment's pause while she thought through what to say, she told him, "Armor is only a casing for your body. All you do is wear it for protection. It doesn't define you. Especially not if you've made the efforts that you have. I think that . . . who you are now - from what I know of who you are now . . . "

" _Nice recovery_ ," he said to himself as he listened.

" . . . You have atoned. You've surrounded yourself with light, and you now have a connection to this Paladin armor. Sure, the Dark Knight represents who you were once and maybe you're not proud of that person, but the current you inside of it isn't bound by it anymore. You just need to wear it sometimes for protection."

He thanked her flatly, and the conversation lulled for a moment.

"Do you regret even wearing it again?" she asked. "Even though it doesn't mean anything anymore? Even though it's just a power you sometimes employ?"

"I don't know. Sometimes."

The Emperor jotted that down in his mental notebook.

She continued to share a couple memories, then the best thing the Emperor witnessed paid off when Kain arrived. The Emperor barely even heard him approach. He passed across the Emperor's vision, and he remembered that he was in Sanctuary, with only a mask to protect him. He checked in on Cosmos and the Warrior of Light. Neither of them were looking in his direction. Not yet.

Kain joined them on the ground, and the Emperor noticed that she looked less than pleased. In fact, she was almost leaning away from him. As though her very being abhorred him. The hardness returned to her eyes, and the shape of her lips was turned down into a deep frown.

"The last thing I remember," Rosa said, after they made small talk, "is collapsing from the Desert Fever."

"I wasn't there for that, was I?" Kain asked.

Cecil shook his head. "No, that's right. You weren't. It was after Mist Village. I was only with Rydia, and then we brought Edward back with us."

"There's one more," Rosa said. "It came back to me when I was fighting the Emperor." Ah, that's right, he thought. She had paused. He landed an attack, she recovered in the air and landed on her feet. In the middle of surveying her surroundings with those sharp and perceptive green eyes, they suddenly grew distant, and glazed. "We were in a completely glass room, and it was really bright. Cecil, you were injured, I think. I remember you lying on the ground in front of me. Kain, you were on the other side of the room, near a Crystal."

Kain did not look happy to hear this. It was his turn to lean away from her, just a little bit. With nearly a grimace on his face. Like it was physically painful for him.

"I don't really remember right before that, but all of a sudden I heard a voice behind me. He said something about you cherishing me, and then he grabbed me and took me away. Kain, you were there, right?"

"I- . . . " Kain said, and he looked away from her.

"Do you remember?-" she tried to prompt him again.

Kain rocketed to his feet. "I must go. You did well, Lady Rosa." He bowed to her, which was no more than a tip of his chin, then walked away. Rosa stood up, too, and the Emperor ghosted behind them, keeping pace to hear all of the gossip. This was too interesting. Too good to leave now.

"Wait, Kain!" she yelled.

"No. I know what you're doing!"

"I don't know what-"

"Do not feign innocence! You're trying to corner me. You asked me about that on purpose."

"So what if I did?" She could manipulate like a Chaos warrior. "It's not the first thing I've remembered about you! I know you betrayed us, once! You helped Golbez _kidnap_ me! You owe me an explanation!"

Kain stopped, and the Emperor felt like he just heard the news of the cycle. Kain betrayed her. That was why she hated him. How unfortunate he was only hearing about it now, when he already had her demise planned. Otherwise, he would have found some creative way to use Kain and Cecil to his advantage. He could have turned Kain against her for the second time, or perhaps he could have used Cecil's insecurity to ruin whatever relationship they thought they had. Ah, the _glorious_ ways he could've done this, rather than just end it. Undignified and quick. Oh, well.

Kain turned towards her, but only slightly. When he spoke, it was clenched through his teeth, practically snarled at her. " . . . I owe you nothing. I live with the shame every day, and I will not suffer under your deliberate hand. Not yours, nor anyone else's. Ask _Cecil_ if you wish to know. I'm sure he can provide you with every little detail."

"He told me to ask you. Refused to tell me," she said, as though she hoodwinked him.

"Forgive me. Of course I would need Cecil to preserve my image," he muttered. Kain turned towards her and even started towards her. The Emperor thought he would overtake her but he only took one small step. "Cecil would never say anything bad about anyone, no. He would prefer I ruin myself." He was threatening her, inching closer and closer towards her. Rosa's eyes widened, her mouth parted in shock. The Emperor saw that very same look once. Rosa reached for the knife on her hip - he'd seen that before, too - but unlike him, Kain had the presence of mind, no, the control of the situation, to grab her wrist and stop her. "He would've wanted me to say it myself, so I could tarnish my own reputation. What else do you remember about me, hm?" By then he was yelling at her. He was practically leaning over her, and they were inches from each other.

Rosa didn't even answer. "Let. me. go," she whispered, and the Emperor heard the tremble in her voice. Kain was able to strike the fear in her that he couldn't.

Kain relaxed, huffing all of the air out of his lungs. He let her go, and slowly backed away from her.

"Perhaps you're doing yourself a favor. By not remembering me," he told her. He walked away from her, but Rosa made sure to get the last word.

"Cecil is not the one to blame for what you did, and neither am I for remembering it!" She stared after him, but then returned to Cecil's side. The Emperor followed her, hoping that perhaps they would tell him more extremely personal details he could use.

"I'm sorry," Cecil started.

Rosa interrupted him. "Don't. Don't apologize for him. He already resents that enough, and besides he doesn't deserve it."

"What did he say?"

"That it figures he would need you to preserve his image. He said you'd rather him tarnish his own reputation."

Cecil sighed tiredly. "I've never done anything to purposefully-"

"Oh, I know," Rosa said. "He was jealous ever since we were children. I think."

Add that to the list. They were childhood friends. The three of them. So that was why Cecil was so connected to her. That was why he wanted her to remember so desperately. He was trying to reclaim the memories of the three of them just as much as she was.

"You know we forgave him, right?" Cecil said. "You did, first. He told us he was under Golbez's spell, but all he wanted was to keep y-" Cecil stopped, suddenly.

"Tell me."

He shook his head no. "I'm sorry. I cannot. Please, I really don't want to speak poorly of him-"

"Fine, then. Don't tell me." Rosa snorted, turning away for a moment. Then she said, "I don't care if I forgave him then. I don't forgive him right now. How could I possibly know any details outside of what comes back to me, piece by piece? And how could he be upset that it's coming back to me? If he did something negative, and I remember something negative about him-"

"Well think about how that makes him feel, Rosa! He did an awful thing, that he feels awful about! One moment he's forgiven, and the next you're trying to trap him. Or force him to admit to it all over again after he already did and was forgiven once!"

"I wasn't trying to trap him-"

"Yes, you were! By purposefully telling him just to see how it would affect him? Rosa, that was a bit cruel."

"I just wanted him to talk about it and explain to me what happened!"

"Then you went about it poorly, with no thought to him. You knew he was struggling with it - I told you he was when we spoke before we sparred. I told you he was ashamed."

"He didn't think about us when he was-"

"Controlled, Rosa. When he was controlled."

The Emperor was nearly giddy with all this new information. He had incriminating evidence against Rosa, Kain, Cecil, and Golbez. Golbez had controlled Kain at one point. Kain had betrayed Cecil and Rosa (whether or not he was aware of it was irrelevant to the Emperor). Kain, Cecil, and Rosa were childhood friends, but Rosa was mad at Kain for whatever happened in their past. Kain resents Cecil for any number of reasons, stemming primarily from his perceived perfection. Cecil has taken to Rosa in an attempt to help her remember the memories of the three of them. He felt omniscient, like he had enough information to ruin all of them at any given time, and just had to wait for the right moment to completely destroy all of them.

Rosa had gone over to the other warriors, and they were congratulating her. He noticed her talking to Cosmos, but Warrior right next to them caught his attention. He was staring right at where the Emperor was, with his eyes narrowed. His hand clenched and unclenched at his side, like he couldn't decide whether to call his sword or not.

The Emperor would be discovered soon.

No matter. He had what he needed, and it was a most unexpected prize. He pictured the top of Pandaemonium in his head, where his throne was, and was about to leave. Then he spotted Kain, on the far end of Sanctuary's barrier.

Perhaps not _yet_.

He had one more thing he wanted to do.

* * *

 _ **I love getting in the Emperor's headspace. Chapters like these are sometimes hard to write, but when you character study someone like the Emperor, it's not so bad ~ we only see a certain side of him in Dissidia, after all, so giving him real emotions and secret desires, and actually scheming his schemes with him, is something that I find super fun and rewarding!**_

 _ **Thanks so much for sticking with me this long! A special thanks to my beta.**_

 _ **Please leave a review if you have the time!**_  
 _ **~Keyblader**_


	21. Chapter 21

As Chaos' right hand, Garland was privy to certain knowledge. Chaos' innermost thoughts, his plans, his musings, everything.

That included his suspicions.

Chaos tapped his claws against the armrest of his chair in the Edge of Madness. Not in any order or rhythm, which told Garland he was contemplating something difficult. "I want you to find Ultimecia."

"Ultimecia, lord?"

"I know the Emperor is plotting against me. And I know he's involved Ultimecia. Go and talk to her, and find out what it is he is planning. Whether or not she tells you, let her know I'm watching them both."

"You do not want me to force her to talk?"

Chaos' fingers drummed harder, faster for a moment, then relaxed again to their slow and random taps. " . . . No. It is not imperative that I find out at this moment. Depending upon their reactions, I will know how frightened they truly are of me. And that will be a telling clue." He paused, and the tapping stopped. "Those two have been a thorn in my side for cycles, now."

"If I may, why not just destroy them now? This is not the first time they have plotted against you directly."

"Because when they are actually working for me, they are valuable allies. Unfortunately, the two of them are no longer worth the hassle. This insubordination is too often a nuisance and a hinderance."

"Understood. I shall go now." Garland put his hand over his heart and bowed to Chaos, then called a portal and stepped through. With no set destination in mind, he instead swept through the main world, hoping to find her away from her gateway. He shot through the Land of Discord and over the Bahamut Isles. He traveled all the way to the Mirage Sandsea without luck before he decided to enter her gateway there.

He made the right choice. By the time he worked his way through the gateway and into her castle, he found her there, on the center platform. Garland jumped down and landed there behind her, shaking the ground where she stood, but she didn't even flinch.

"Garland," she said, without turning to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, at this very moment. Clearly," she said. She threw her arms to the side and gestured to the empty castle around her.

"You know my meaning. What are you doing with the Emperor?"

One of her thin, painted eyebrows lifted, and she turned to look at him, crossing her arms like an indignant child. "Now, now, Garland, isn't it rude to pry into others' business?"

"Not if this 'business', in any shape or form, threatens Chaos."

"Of course. Did he send you out, or are you just going to tattle?"

"That is none of your concern."

She dropped the innocent look and glared at him with all the force she could muster. "Then I suppose my business is none of your concern."

Garland growled his frustration before he could help it, but then remembered Chaos' instructions. " . . . You two are on thin ice. If the Emperor's schemes lead you to cross either of us, it will be the end of you."

She chuckled once, and waved dismissively. "It always is. Are you finished?"

"We're watching you. Tread lightly." He figured that was as good a place to leave it as any. She could think that meant whatever she wanted.

He left before she could get the last word in.

* * *

"How may I be of assistance?" Cosmos asked, smiling sweetly at Rosa.

"Rosa, please," Cecil said behind her. She hadn't even realized he had followed her after she spoke to all of the other warriors. "I think you're making this into a much larger issue than it is-"

"I will determine the importance of issues that deal with _my_ memory, thank you."

"There isn't much to tell," he insisted, "I promise. It's not as horrible as you're making it out to be-" Not as horrible?

"Then tell me!" Rosa said, spinning on her heels to face him. "One minute the details are so damaging you wouldn't dare speak of it, then the next I'm overly upset about something small. Which is it?" Rosa stared into his face, watching him squirm under her scrutiny.

"It isn't _that_ , that the details are _damaging_ , I just would rather you hear what happened from Kain's point of view, so that I don't misconstrue-"

"At this point, I don't care if you do!" Rosa said.

His shoulders slumped, and he paused for a second to look away from her and collect himself. "Rosa, don't you understand that I have an obligation to him as his friend?"

Rosa rubbed her hand down the side of her face. "Of course I understand that. I think it's admirable that you would go to such lengths to protect his honor. Good for you, Cecil," she said. "But I also think wanting answers isn't being terribly unreasonable! This isn't just some minuscule detail about the workings of the world, or something. You are deliberately withholding information from me - do you know how upset that makes me? I came here with _nothing_ but my name. You befriended me almost instantly, and you explained so much about this world and this war and for that I am so grateful. But now you have a piece of information that holds personal importance to me and you refuse to tell me. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I told you my reasons for withholding it-"

"Well thank you for your lack of assistance, but now I'm seeking answers from someone else. If you'd excuse me," she said, gesturing to Cosmos. She offered a shallow curtsy to end the conversation with Cecil. The entire time they spoke, Cosmos sat patiently with her hands clasped in her lap, face a neutral mask. Her eyes flicked between the two of them, but Rosa could tell she hadn't taken a single side in the argument.

Or else, she was hiding her opinion very carefully.

"I need to know about Kain," Rosa blurted out. Cosmos blinked back at her in reply, clearly not expecting the request. Or, perhaps, the force with which she said it. "I need to know what he did - I remember a few things but I - he - " She couldn't even speak through her anger. In her head the argument replayed, ending with ' _Perhaps you're doing yourself a favor. By not remembering me_ ,' and, ' _Cecil is not to blame for what you did, and neither am I for remembering it_!'

Rosa shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "How much do you know of him? From before he was called here?"

Cecil bristled uncomfortably next to her, and grimaced as though in pain. Rosa ignored him.

"I'm not sure I und-"

"You call us here if you deem us worthy to fight for the light against the darkness. You've said that a few times, Warrior's said it a few times . . . Which means you have to know _something_ about what we did before we got here, right? What I mean is, you have to have some way to view and evaluate our actions and deem us worthy. Is that not so?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking," Cosmos said slowly. "When I amass enough power to scan the dimensions, I search for people with strong lights. Cecil, Kain, and you were the brightest in your dimension. I selected him first. The inhabitants called it the-"

"The Overworld, right. I know that. I'm from there," Rosa said tersely. "What about _him_?"

Cosmos paused, her face falling ever so slightly at Rosa's rudeness. " . . . I cannot see the individual actions of people. I only see the lights. The very first time I looked upon the Overworld, his light made itself known. A purple-tinted, but no less noble light that I could see. I looked closer at his light, and I saw him. A Dragoon Knight from the Kingdom of Baron. His heart was true and his light was strong. I summoned him based on that."

" . . . So you can't tell me anything about what happened between us when the three of us were still in Baron together," Rosa finished for her.

Cosmos shook her head slowly. "I cannot."

Rosa turned back to Cecil and said, "And _you_ won't." She let her frustration show, cursing under her breath. "This is ridiculous! Cosmos, don't you know anything about this war you called us to? Every time I ask a question you redirect me to another warrior. I'm already fed up with being turned away," she told Cosmos honestly. "And don't you know anything about the people you summoned to fight for you? You know Kain's betrayed us, right? Golbez controlled him at one point, did you know that?"

"Rosa-!" Cecil started, but she hushed him with a sharp ' _shhh_!'

"You mean . . . while he was traveling with you in the Overworld?" Cosmos asked. Something about the question seemed loaded. There was some other side of meaning to it but Rosa couldn't place it. "I did not know that. While he has been here with me he has been true. Everything he does is for the sake of his friends, and knowing what he's done before does not change my opinion of him. I'm sorry I cannot answer-"

"You said you called Kain first out of the three of us. How long ago was that?"

" . . . "

"You don't know," Rosa answered, and Cosmos's eyebrows furrowed as she looked down into the water. "You cannot even tell me how long you have been fighting this war. How many warriors have you seen pass through? How often does a warrior die? How often do you summon new warriors? Are you winning this war?"

"Rosa-" Cecil started, but she didn't let him interject.

"I've not been here for more than- . . . than . . . " she trailed off, assuming she just knew off the top of her head how long she had been here. But then she remembered that there wasn't a day or a night time, and she hadn't checked Sanctuary's shadow in a long while, like Firion had said, not until before her and Cecil had sparred. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment, but she wasn't about to give up on her anger. " . . . No more than two days at the most, and I'm already done with all of this. I'm fed up with not knowing who I am or where I'm from or what happened there, and I am twice as fed up with not knowing what I'm doing _here_."

"I'm sorry," Cosmos said sadly.

"You keep saying that, but it doesn't change anything. All I want is to get my memory back, and go home to Baron. If my pursuit doesn't agree with either of you, then I can advise you only to stay out of my way at this point. If you wish to aid me, it would be most welcome but neither of you are willing to do that. Do not blame me for doing what I need to do."

Rosa looked past Cecil, hoping she remembered the direction that Kain had stormed off in after their argument. She had thought he left, but luckily he stopped just outside the barrier on the other end of Sanctuary. She pushed past Cecil, and he turned to the side to let her through.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"To speak to Kain one more time," she told him. "Perhaps he will be willing to answer some questions if I ask in earnest." How ironic would that be, she thought, if the one person she initially didn't trust in the slightest proved to be her greatest source of information.

* * *

Cosmos and Cecil both watched her go, and when she was a safe distance away, he sighed defeatedly. His entire carriage seemed to deflate, and he kept his eyes on the ground, not looking at Cosmos.

"Cecil . . . " she began softly, probably to try and advise him on the necessity of patience to abate the bitterness and heartache he felt. He didn't want her advice. Not at that moment.

"It's alright. She . . . she's frustrated, and she has every right to be. I haven't been Purged in so long. I don't really remember what it was like to wake up with nothing. She's struggling, and I mustn't fault her."

"You're still allowed to be upset. And if you are still upset with me, I will not fault you, either."

"I am upset, Cosmos, but not with you anymore . . . " Cosmos heard the trail-off in his tone, and she cocked her head to the side, clearly asking that he say more. And he wanted to. He wanted to air his grievances to Cosmos, if only to alleviate the heaviness and sorrow in his chest. But she couldn't change anything. And neither could he. Reverting back to the anger he had when he first found out Rosa was called would only sound like complaining. He somewhat changed the subject, instead telling her what exactly he was sad about now. "This Rosa is not the woman I knew," he said. "She is not the soft, caring woman I've known since I was a child, and she's not the woman I fell in love with. She is . . . Hardened. Stressed. By the loss of her memory. I am sad she does not know peace. And, if you would permit me a moment of selfishness, I am sad for myself. I just want her to remember me, fully. I'm still in love with her and I wish she still loved me." Cecil took a moment to think. "I'm not mad at you, Cosmos."

"You are not mad at me, but you are still angered by the fact that she was called," Cosmos said, scooping the thought from his mind anyway.

"Well, yes - in a way. The fact that we fight this conflict doesn't anger me. Light and Darkness are born to fight, destined to be opposites. I should know this best of all. Where I take offense is _Rosa's_ involvement in this conflict. I'd rather fight and die a hundred times than subject her to this."

Cecil began pacing slowly, unsure of what else to do to work off some of his extra discomfort. He happened to look up and see the Warrior staring, mostly at Cosmos. Rather than stare back, he watched Rosa's back as she finally made it to Kain and started taking to him, moving her arms. "I had hoped that the time when Rosa and I saw each other would be one of joy. I had pictured us in Baron together, where I could hold her safe in my arms. Instead I came face-to-face with a woman who had never seen me before in her life, that she could remember. She looked at me with nothing but suspicion, and I've never been looked at with such _disdain_ \- not by her. No love, no familiarity, and it hurt me."

He fiddled idly with the ring around his left hand ring finger, using his thumb to twist it around and around. Ever since she was called to the cycles he was hyperaware of it. Where the metal touched his skin and the pink hue of the matching rose gold and how much it weighed on his finger. The symbol of what was supposed to be their eternity.

Her beautiful, round, hooded eyes were so richly green, it was as though every shade of the color was swirled into one. Her sharp nose accented the slenderness of her face, rounded out by the fullness of her rosy cheeks. The curvature of her lips, already chiseled; and when they turned up into a smile - so deep her eyes crinkled with it - he knew joy as well. And when she talked to him. Just talked. About her day, or a memory, or a political strategy with him . . .

His heart twinged again in sadness. He wanted her back.

"What's wrong with Kain?" Cosmos asked, bringing her hands to her chest and wringing them anxiously. Cecil looked up, right as he stumbled backwards and shook his head hard. He cried out, loud enough to alert everyone else in Sanctuary, and doubled over, throwing his hands up to either side of his head.

It looked morbidly familiar, and Cecil realized why.

 _"Let me ease your suffering," Kain said, raising his lance to stab him where he lay._

 _Yang tried to intervene. "You'll do nothing-" he yelled, running forward, but Kain warded him off with a swipe of his lance. He turned back to Cecil and smiled._

 _Cecil shut his eyes. Turned away._

 _"Stop!" he heard. And he knew that voice. His eyes opened in shock to see Rydia and Rosa running in together. Her eyes flicked in horror between Kain and Cecil, and-_

Rosa took a step back, shaking her head softly.

Kain let out another sound that choked off, and without warning he ripped his helmet off and slammed it to the ground. "Rosa!" Cecil yelled, and he took off towards them. "Rosa, get away from him!"

Everything froze for a moment. Kain with his hands to his temples, panting so deeply his chest heaved underneath his armor. Rosa with her hands flexing at her sides, ready to call her bow, the other warriors, looking on in confusion. He called his lance and Cecil cried out, "No!" before he could stop himself. He made to point it at Rosa, but at the last second dropped it, recoiling from it like it burned him.

Then the Emperor appeared.

* * *

 _ **I got a Curious Cat profile! Stop by and ask me anything about Petal! Tell me your favorite part so far, ask me for 'Director's Commentary' for your favorite part, tell me why you like it, send me your predictions for future chapters, anything!**_

 _ **curiouscat . me / Keyblader41996**_

 ** _This chapter was just so fun to write! I love Ultimecia and how awful she is something just for fun. I love Cosmos and I love writing Rosa's attempts to figure out what is going on and her frustration when she can't. And I love the interactions between everyone from FFIV. The memory is reminiscent of when Kain hesitates after seeing Rosa in the DS version of FFIV!_** Please leave a comment if you have the time!

 ** _~Keyblader_**


	22. Chapter 22

Impulsivity did not become the Emperor. He knew that of himself.

There was a certain feeling of domination that he relished in that accompanied a carefully thought-out plan. In the grand game of chess that was the war, he loved being able to influence and manipulate behaviors and events. He loved knowing his own moves, he loved anticipating the moves of others, and he loved the calm, cold, and deliberate confidence that came with it. And that sort of planning meant that he rarely ever lost control. Losing control meant acting rashly, and acting rashly disrupted all of his careful calculations. He could no longer anticipate the consequences, and he could no longer react accordingly.

It did not stop him in this instance.

Upon retrospection, the Emperor would scold himself, and say that attacking Kain was one of the most reckless and impulsive things he could have ever done. But he wanted Rosa gone, then and there. He was ready to end her in the middle of sixteen of Cosmos' warriors and even in front of the goddess herself. He allowed his lust for vengeance to corrupt his calculation.

Golbez's ability to control minds. Kain's betrayal, under Golbez's influence, spurred forth by Kain's childish jealousy of Cecil and his heartbreak over Rosa's choice. Cecil's past sins, which included a fall from grace and murder. The blood of others that stained his Dark Knight armor and stripped him of the perfection he maintained. All the information the Emperor learned was swimming in his head, over and over, with the energizing anticipation of the moments when he would get to use it. The looks of shock and outrage on their faces when he pulled it from his back pocket and displayed it to all the world.

Perhaps it was that desire that the Emperor acted upon - the one he had to use that information and use it now to his advantage just to see Rosa suffer. But no matter what it was, it was impulsive.

He took all of two seconds to decide that if Golbez possessed those powers of mind manipulation, then he could, too. He was already a better mage than Golbez, with more forceful and concentrated power. He should've been able to do it.

He should've known it wouldn't work. He should've told himself to wait, to think, to plan it out.

When he saw that Kain hadn't left Sanctuary completely, he followed after him. Slowly, relishing in the thought of stalking his prey. He left Rosa where she was, speaking to Cosmos, and he followed after Kain, keeping enough distance that he wouldn't alert him. Some, like the Warrior, were hypersensitive to the scent of Chaos' warriors. He wasn't sure about Kain.

He stared and stared, wondering how Golbez could have done it. It was mind magic. All he had to do was send a powerful Curse spell into Kain's mind. After his already-weak mental defenses crumbled, the Emperor figured he could implant a thought or an order and watch it play out.

All pure speculation. No plan, no escape route, no anything. The thoughts just didn't cross his mind against the potential payoff of this success. He wanted her to _suffer_ , and Kain would be his agent.

Kain paced angrily, still fuming from this argument with Rosa. Occasionally his head would snap up, like he thought of some witty and crushing retort, and he would glare at her with his face twisted into a frown. And then his shoulders would slump and he would sigh or growl or make some noise of his disgust.

While he watched, the Emperor called upon the Curse, tied to the deepest parts of his mind and soul. The old reserves he kept locked tight for when he truly needed them. He used the same powers against Firion and his friends when he conquered the earth and heaven and hell. He drew it from hiding in his heart, and already his chest started to tingle with the sensation of raw power. He planted it in his chest and let it grow, buzzing stronger and stronger as he poured more and more of his thoughts and energy into it.

He allowed it to manifest outside of himself, and when he held out his hand, it congealed there in his palm. His hand, then his entire arm trembled from its energy and the Emperor eyed Kain from where he was. What would be the best way to do this? If he misfired the spell wouldn't catch. Then Kain and all of Cosmos' warriors would be alerted to his presence.

Doubt threatened to overtake him. " _It won't work. This is rash, and foolish_." The Emperor dismissed it just as quickly. If Golbez could do it, surely he could, too. He was Mateus. His power was absolute.

He decided to walk right up to Kain and physically touch him with it. Just to ensure that it took. He doubled his efforts to mask his presence and aura and teleported there, mere steps from Kain. But in his efforts to keep the masking spell, he lost some of the power in his Curse he held cupped in his palm. He had to pause and let it build up again.

Kain knew something was there, right in front of him. He froze exactly where he was and looked around, staring straight through the Emperor. He reached out into the open air, and the Emperor leaned backwards and away from him, clutching the spell close in case Kain touched it prematurely.

He must have written it off, because he dropped his hand and his head moved like he rolled his eyes behind his helmet. He rolled his weight back onto his heels and crossed his arms protectively over his chest.

Perfect moment.

The Emperor inched the Curse closer and closer to his face, hoping to get as close to his temples as he possibly could with the helmet in the way. He wasn't inches from Kain when the Emperor heard a voice right behind him.

"Hey." He flinched, whirling around and blocking his body with his staff, just in case he was attacked. Rosa's green eyes missed him once again, staring through him to Kain.

He could not win with her. All the more reason to destroy her now.

"Hey," she repeated, "I'm sorry I said that earlier. Sorry for cornering you like that."

Kain didn't answer. He stared down at her and didn't move.

"If you're willing, I'd like to talk about what happened. I genuinely believe it to be a large piece of my memory, and-"

"No."

She paused, processing his response. "No?" Her eyebrows lifted and she lowered her chin.

"No," he said, standing taller to brace himself. "I will not be used. By you, or by anyone. Not ever again."

"I don't want to use you, Kain."

"You do. For information, you do."

"How else would I learn anything about my memory, then? I admit that what I did earlier was cold. It was deliberate and I apologize. I didn't understand the full weight of what I was asking of you. But why, when I ask you to explain, would you then hide it from me?"

"You don't deserve it after what you did. At least, not yet-"

She scoffed, mouth dropping open in shock. "I do not deserve information about _my_ memory?-"

"Not from _me_ , you don't."

Rosa was not used to being told no. That's what it looked like to the Emperor. Her eyes hardened for a moment, like she was about to press the matter, but then she decided against it. She stepped away, and the Emperor slid into the space where she was.

Before he could second guess again, and before anybody else could interrupt him, he clasped the Curse in his hand and touched it to Kain's cheek.

It seeped into his skin, straight under his helmet, and the Emperor knew it held. Kain's reaction could have told him anyway. He recoiled so forcefully he staggered back to keep his balance, as though the Emperor had hurled the spell at him rather than touched it to him. He shook his head hard as the Emperor's spell took effect, forcing and burrowing its way into his mind, shutting down his thoughts and faculties.

The Emperor couldn't guess what Golbez would have said to Kain back then to force him to submit, but he was running out of time. He whispered to Kain, hoping the commands were strong enough.

" _Kill her_!" he hissed to him urgently. " _Attack Rosa! Kill her_!"

Kain screamed out as the commands dug into his consciousness. His hands flew to his head and he doubled over.

" _Kain Highwind, kill Rosa_!" he whispered again. The Emperor couldn't tell if they were working. By Kain's reaction they were, but he had no way of knowing unless Kain acted upon them. He repeated the words like a mantra, hoping the repetition would help it take root faster. " _Kill her! Kill Rosa! Kill Rosa! Kill Rosa_!"

Kain winced again and grabbed at his helmet, tearing it from his head and throwing it violently to the ground. He stood there, frozen, panting, and in his anticipation the Emperor's whispers faded from his lips as he stared.

"Rosa!" Cecil yelled from the other side of Sanctuary. "Rosa, get away from him!"

This was the moment of truth.

Kain called his lance and the Emperor nearly shouted. Unbelievable! His poorly-planned, impulsively executed plan had actually worked. Even if Rosa didn't die, the emotional cost of this would be heavy for all of Cosmos' warriors, but especially her. And that was enough for him. Just to hurt her.

" _Kill her_!" he screamed one last time at Kain, but rather than force the point home it startled Kain. He dropped his lance.

No. no, no, no!

"No!" he yelled aloud. Fine, he could end this himself. Right there, right then. Never mind the other warriors. He could have her on the ground before they even reacted. He appeared right where he was, jabbing Kain with his staff and shoving him back.

"Protect Cosmos!" someone yelled - probably the Warrior. "Terra, Yuna, Vaan, Zidane, with me!" The Emperor could have laughed at him. Cosmos wasn't who he was after. He turned on Rosa, and she already had her bow in her hands. They weren't feet from each other but she still drew and shot an arrow at him. He ducked, and the arrow tip _pinged_ off the decorative cobra in his hair, spiraling away. The Emperor circled his staff in the air and began a Thunder Crest, and with his other hand he called a blue Flare, throwing them both at her at once.

Rosa blocked and braced her bow across her body to guard against the Flare, but the Thunder Crest sailed across the ground and sparked under her boot. She screamed, her entire body stiffened, and she fell to her knees. Her bow fell from her hands and clattered away from her. She writhed and twitched, gritting her teeth, and her eyes tracked the Blue Flare that crept closer and closer to her.

From his right, he heard a yell, and Cecil sprinted forward. The Emperor expected him to attack, but instead he dove into the Flare's path, taking it for Rosa. He was thrown onto his back, and he slid backwards in the water, armor smoking from the heat. The Emperor turned back to Rosa but by then his Thunder Crest had dissipated. He growled his frustration through his clenched teeth.

There were too many distractions. Too many warriors here to interrupt.

He should have thought this through. He should have planned. He shouldn't have let his rage control him.

It was too late now. Now he'd have to do the best with what he had.

Rosa scrambled to her feet, staggering forward on trembling legs to keep her balance. He needed her to stay there until he could concentrate. The Emperor lifted his staff in the air and summoned a cluster of mines to surround her on every side.

"Emperor!" Firion yelled, and the Emperor glanced around to see him and nearly every single warrior in Sanctuary running towards him from all different parts of Sanctuary with weapons drawn. They were still relatively far away, but Cecil had also recovered. He was close. The Emperor looked over his shoulder to check on Kain, but he was still on the ground where the Emperor had pushed him over. Either unconscious or exhausted from his harrowing experience. Either way, he wasn't a threat.

The faster warriors would reach him first, he knew, before he ever got the chance to attack Rosa. He glanced at her and happened to meet her gaze. He saw her wide-eyed, pained and exhausted glance, and the thought of the pain he would inflict as soon as he was able brought a smile to his face. He smirked, placing another set of mines all around her to be certain she wouldn't escape, enjoying the way her eyes widened further and flicked from mine to mine, no doubt searching for a way out.

He couldn't enjoy it for long. The small Onion Knight broke away from the crowd and was quickly approaching. He slashed his sword through the air twice before aiming for the Emperor's knees. The Emperor floated backwards, and the Onion Knight followed-through and swung again. The Emperor blocked with the lower part of his staff, then used his magic to twirl it in the air. It ripped the Onion Knight's sword from his hands, tossing it across Sanctuary, and he called a normal Blind spell, casting it on the Knight.

"No, no, no!" he cried, wiping desperately at his eyes, but the spell held. The Emperor grabbed his staff from the air and swung it into the Knight's chest, knocking him away. The tugging sensation on his ribs had him squirming in pain and he winced, clamping his arm against his side before he could help it. With his other hand, he called two mines behind the Knight and they exploded, tossing him into the air. The Emperor knew the landing would not be pretty.

One of the mines exploded behind him as Rosa tried squirming her way around them. The Emperor drew another Thunder Crest underneath her and watched as she grit her teeth, refusing to cry out this time as the shocks tore through her, keeping her in place.

Knowing she was blocked, he turned right as Tidus and Cecil both approached. The two of them stopped and circled the Emperor together, weapons raised and at the ready. Looking for an opening or perhaps planning Rosa's rescue. The others around Sanctuary had either slowed down or stopped a safe distance away, ready to jump in if necessary. How valiant of them - unwilling to gang up on an opponent. The Warrior and those he called for had only strayed a few feet from Cosmos, guarding her like a dog in case he decided to make an attempt on her life.

Just these two for now, then.

Just until he could snap Rosa's neck.

"Ah! _Jecht's_ boy," the Emperor sneered, putting as much malice into his tone as he could.

"What, you hate my old man? Well get in line!"

" _Hmph_!" he snorted. "And Cecil. How very fortunate for you to have Rosa returned to you. I hope the process of regaining her memory hasn't been too difficult for you, considering she remembers your fall from grace."

Cecil paused, even taking a step back. "How do you know about that?" he asked, eyes wide.

"How many people have you murdered?"

"Don't listen to him, Cecil! He's full of it!" Tidus warned, turning his sword in his hand threateningly.

Cecil seemed to shake off the Emperor's comments. He switched to Dark Knight and set his spear behind him. "Let her go!" he yelled.

The Emperor looked into where Cecil's eyes would be under the helmet and smiled spitefully, letting the sentiment in his eyes drive his point home. He never shifted his gaze away from Cecil, even as he lifted his staff and slammed the end into the ground. A storm of purple lightning appeared over her head, and Cecil made a small noise of alarm. Rosa backpedaled away from the bolts, right into one of the mines. It exploded and threw her forward onto her hands and knees. The lightning bore down on her.

Cecil lifted his spear up near his ear and it glowed purple. The Emperor readied himself to block, expecting him to throw it. Instead, a black and purple orb of power shot from the tip. Before he could even react, it collided into his chest and he was tossed backwards. His breath hitched, the almost-healed puncture wounds of the arrows in his chest burned evilly. The Emperor pushed the pain away from his mind and scrambled to a sitting position, just in time to see Cecil take off towards Rosa.

No. He couldn't let Cecil get to Rosa. He would free her. He needed to end her himself. He was running out of time.

From his sitting position, the Emperor grabbed his staff with both hands and pointed it in Cecil's direction, a little behind him. He tried to charge up a Dynamite spell to draw Cecil away from Rosa's prison. The tip of his staff flickered to life - a dreary, yellow light - but before he could finish it Tidus' boot slammed down on his staff, pushing it down into the water. It dissipated quickly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't do that," Tidus muttered, watching him closely.

For the first time, the consequences of his little excursion here weighed on him. He had Rosa trapped well enough, but now he himself was stuck. A formidable warrior stared down at him in a vulnerable position. Even if he somehow escaped, there were eight others ready to jump in. One of those eight was less inclined towards mercy than the others in the Emperor's case.

He needed to think of something, and now. Engage in that perfect planning he normally used, not the recklessness that seemed to overtake him every time Rosa was involved. Cecil had reached her. He inched his spear forward and touched one of the mines around Rosa experimentally. It exploded, not close enough to do any harm, so the Emperor shifted a few mines closer to her and detonated them as well to injure her more. One of them, placed in the small of her back, collapsed her forward, flat on her stomach with her face turned away from Cecil.

She didn't immediately get up. She probably assumed it was better to simply stay still than it was to try and escape. Just what the Emperor wanted.

Cecil knelt on the ground and said something to her, so low he couldn't hear it. For a moment, the Emperor thought her dead already, and his pride nearly collapsed. But then he saw her chest rise and fall. He could attack her yet.

That was if Cecil didn't find a way to break her out. He needed to get him away from her. He needed to get rid of all of them.

The Emperor's staff was still stuck under Tidus' boot, and his sword was still at his throat, but Tidus was almost completely turned away from him, watching Cecil and Rosa. The Emperor wiggled his staff experimentally and Tidus' head snapped back towards him.

"Hey," he warned. "Watch it." The Emperor thought he would continue to watch, but instead he turned back again to suggest to them, "Maybe she should try a Protect spell and force her way-"

The Emperor tugged on his staff as hard as he could, and Tidus' foot slid out from under him. He slipped and the Emperor teleported behind him in a flash, already calling a Tornado. His aura surged, flaring out around him, leaking into the air in all directions, and the Emperor spread his arms to push it further, resisting the pain in his ribs. The wind in Sanctuary was calm, the air unmoving, but when the Emperor called his power back, he felt the pressure shift, pulling the very wind towards him. He poured the power into his staff and it trembled violently, even shooting small sparks of lightning from the strength. It circled the air, spiraling faster and faster as it charged, and the air around the Emperor spiraled as well.

The Emperor raised his arms, and he couldn't keep his cry of pain contained. He clutched his side, but managed to keep his concentration. His staff soared upwards, drawing the winds with them, and the spell finally manifested. A greyish-brown maelstrom of power rose from the ground, so powerful it whipped his hair around him and his staff continued to spin. The Emperor let the attack loose, and it fractured into three smaller Tornadoes. He grabbed his staff from the air, panting, and floated backwards, away from the carnage they would cause.

Tidus hesitated, clearly unsure of how to handle the crackling, whirling spell hurdling towards him. He blocked, holding his sword straight out in front of him, but the Tornado still circled around him. He cried out, and the Emperor lost sight of him in the dust and magic. The other two storms trailed slowly towards Cecil, so strong the Emperor could feel the ground shake, and to the Emperor's relief the winds pulled Cecil away from Rosa. His feet dragged, he lost his balance, and Cecil put his hand flat on the ground to try and gain extra purchase. But the closer they drew, the stronger he was pulled away. Cecil lifted his spear over his head and slammed it into the ground of Sanctuary, digging it deep into the crystal under the water to keep him still.

Perfect. Now he was anchored to the spot.

The Emperor drew a Dreary Cell with his staff and planted it directly under Cecil. It exploded and the Tornadoes dissipated, tossing both him and Tidus away from them.

The Emperor whirled around, expecting another attack. But to his surprise, no others were immediately ready to engage him. They were coming, crashing towards him, but they wouldn't reach him in time. He would make sure of that. To keep them distracted, the Emperor cast a red Cursed Flare, using both hands to concentrate its power. He let it build and build, growing larger and larger, until it was almost as large as his wingspan. He let it loose, and sent it forward towards the largest concentration of warriors. It spun, hurling fireballs from within itself into all of the warriors. They all dodged or blocked, but either way they were distracted.

He had no obstruction to Rosa.

 _Finally_.

He floated towards her. Circled around her so that he could see her face. She stared tiredly up at him. Her green eyes looked dead and defeated, and the sight was exactly what he wanted. "How unfortunate. We were interrupted. But I'm _really_ going to enjoy this," he told her. She simply closed her eyes in response. His heart leapt in his chest, pure delight at the thought of finally ending her, once and for all. "Dear Rosa," he added, a final term of endearment.

He let go of his staff and it crawled upwards, laying flat over his head. It spun slowly, teasingly, as though it had a mind of its own and was just as spiteful as he was. It drew the sigil for his Starfall - a series of interwoven triangles, circles, stars and pentagrams, sealed together and circled by ancient, eldritch runes meant to be sealed away. The largest triangle provided three root points, and as his staff powered the spell, three bolts of lightning shot from it and connected to the points.

It shone brighter and brighter, and the Emperor watched Rosa while it charged. She didn't even move, didn't even flinch, not even when the glyphs began to hum with energy. A matching sigil appeared underneath Rosa and her traps, and above her, Sanctuary's clouds swirled together and congealed before spreading apart to reveal the meteor storm.

He was seconds away from releasing the attack before something metal _pinged_ off his back. It wasn't even strong enough to stagger him, but the loss of concentration was enough to cast away his whole attack. The Emperor's rage boiled over, and he screamed out his rage, snarling it through his clenched teeth. He turned, and the weapon that struck him lay harmlessly on the ground. Kain's lance. The Emperor kicked it away and followed the direction it came from. Kain was on his feet but nearly doubled over, chest heaving from the effort of getting up. The lance disappeared and reappeared in Kain's hand and he staggered forward, clearly ready to engage.

All the other warriors were ready as well.

Exhausted, exasperated, surrounded. This plan, if he could call it that, had completely backfired. He would never attack her at this rate - at least, not in a way that he would enjoy it.

He just wanted her _dead_. He wanted her dead, _now_.

Damn the theatrics and the gloating.

The Death spell was already tumbling from his lips, the power coming from his heart. He was close enough that Rosa could hear him, and her eyes opened wide when she realized what he was doing. She stared up at him but didn't move from her spot. The Emperor hoped it was because she was accepting what was coming.

"Rosa!" Cecil yelled.

"N-no!" Kain tried, but his strength left him. He collapsed to a knee, using his lance to keep himself upright.

This ended now.

He cast the spell in her direction, and the Emperor thought her finished. But at the last second, Rosa held her hand up. Palm out, towards him. He didn't see any sort of barrier appear around her. She was too weak.

He thought.

Rather than attack her and bleed into her skin, killing her instantly, the spell ricocheted away from her, bouncing off a Reflect barrier she had put up. It spun wildly towards the crowd of Cosmos' warriors, straight towards Firion. Either he didn't see it, or did not react in time. The moment it touched him, he dropped.

Of course.

Of course Rosa cheated death. Cheated _him_. Either Fate despised him, or it favored Rosa. Perhaps both. Either way, it was time to abandon this ridiculous effort. The Emperor did not stay to see the aftermath of his spell. He disappeared to nurse the wounds to his pride.

* * *

 _ **The Emperor strikes again!**_

 _ **When writing this, it occurred to me that the Emperor knows Blind, Meteor, Ultima, and other spells in FFII. If the Emperor knows Meteor, then he must know other Black Magics. That was my rationale, anyway. It led me down a quest of determining what Black Magic/White Magic spells he would know, and at what level he would know that. That's where Curse, Blind, Death, and other spells came in during this scene. If you're curious, leave a review and I'll drop my list of Black Magics I determined he would know based on FFII canon, Dissidia canon, 012 canon, and NT canon.**_

 _ **Again, with updated attacks, attack mechanics, body movements, and details in Dissidia NT, I went for a fusion of the old and the new. The Emperor's Tornado is an HP attack in NT, not just an EX Mode attack like in 012 and the original Dissidia. His Starfall is the same. Let me know how I did!**_

 _ **Leave a review if you have the time, and thank you to my beta-reader!**_  
 _ **Ask me anything about Petal on my Curious Cat! Search for Keyblader41996.**_  
 _ **~Keyblader**_


	23. Chapter 23

Her injuries weren't serious. Rosa knew that.

She felt pain - every muscle in her body ached from the Thunder magic. Sore from the shocks and from the repeated, prolonged, uncontrollable tension that came with them. The small of her back felt hot, tender, and bruised. A combination of the sharp pain of impact and the burning of her skin from the explosions.

Mild injuries. Pin-pricks. Lingering nuisances, and nothing more.

The Emperor hadn't wanted to kill her. Not until the very last moment. He had only been toying with her.

She knew that.

But her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Her breath shook in her chest. She felt sick, her stomach roiling and turning inside of her. She lay in the water with her eyes closed, and couldn't quite seem to remember what happened. It happened in a dream, to someone else. It wasn't real. She was watching from someone else's point of view, lying in someone else's body, controlling someone else's limbs without the sensations involved like when she first woke up. Sanctuary's water lapped at her but she couldn't feel it. Someone said something far away, but she couldn't hear it.

Or, wait, her eyes were open. They were open, and she was staring at Sanctuary. The mines that the Emperor placed peppered her field of vision, standing in defiance of the fact that he himself was long gone. Was he even gone? How long had he been gone?

The mines blinked faster. They read her mind. Perhaps they would explode, with Rosa right there in the middle. She couldn't quite bring herself to care. It was a dream. She couldn't connect herself to any of it. Rather than detonate, the light inside the mines grew dimmer and dimmer with each pulse until they faded, like they had never been there in the first place. The free air felt lighter in her lungs, easier to breathe, but her back felt open and exposed. Vulnerable to whatever the Emperor decided to do to her when he came back. Rosa's chest tightened, and to protect herself she curled up, turning on her side and tucking her knees to her chest.

From somewhere behind her, footsteps splashed in the water towards her. She curled tighter, afraid of the incoming attack, but it was Cecil who popped into her field of vision, not the Emperor. He dropped to his hands and knees next to her. He said something. A series of sounds that made no sense to her, in a language she couldn't identify. His eyes looked wide with panic and worry, and seeing him like that shot cold fear down her spine, numbing her nerves further.

"Rose," he said. "Are you alright?"

Yes. No?

"Rosa!" Cecil said again, more urgently. "Rose. Are you alright?"

She opened her mouth and drew in a breath, but the air hitched in her throat. Instead of words, a choked sound sputtered out.

"Are you hurt? Rosa, please! Are you injured?"

"N-no . . . " she whispered. It was as loud as she could manage.

Cecil whispered something under his breath, and the warm, green light of Cura wrapped around her. It tingled gently, working itself into her body. It eased the aching, but not her fear. Not her shaking.

"I'm not injured," she managed. "Is everyone else okay?" She tried to think back, to remember exactly what happened. Where the Emperor had been, where she had been, what happened to Cecil, and to whomever else tried to help, but there was nothing there. As though she wasn't even conscious or present during the whole attack. "Who else . . . ? Did he . . . ?"

"Yes, but you-"

"What's wrong? Who is it?"

"It doesn't matter, Rose. You need-"

"Tell me!" she said, and she didn't even try to control the panic.

"It's Firion. The Emperor's Death spell hit him, and he needs revived. Onion's been blinded, and Kain . . . but we will care for them. You need to-"

As disconcerted as she felt, the thought of others suffering for her disturbed her more than anything else that had happened. None of these people had any sort of obligation to her - not even Cecil had an obligation to her. And they had been harmed because of the Emperor's inexplicable vendetta. No matter what happened to her in this ridiculous world, she couldn't accept that others who she just met were being forced to endure it. They didn't deserve it.

"I'll help them. I should help them." Rosa moved her stiff limbs, moved the hands that weren't hers, the legs and feet that weren't attached to her. She placed them under her and struggled to coordinate them to sit herself up. They quivered so violently they couldn't support her weight. Cecil's hand clamped around her arm and he pulled her up. Her numb legs stayed under her, to her gratefulness, and she was finally upright. She looked at Cecil. Words tumbled from his mouth. Words left her mouth. They were having a conversation but she couldn't hear any of it. "I should help them," she said again, the only thing she knew for sure she wanted to say to him. She said it on repeat, unsure if anything else would leave her mouth correctly. His hand stiffened around her arm and anger flashed across his face for a second, but Rosa pulled away before he could protest any further. "I should help him. I should help Firion. I'm fine, I promise. I need to help Firion."

She looked around, having no idea where he was. No idea where she was in Sanctuary. The battle had completely disoriented her. Cosmos' throne sat to her left, but that was all she could see apart from the white crystal rocks. No warriors, no enemies, no Cosmos. Rosa looked to her right and found most of them, kneeling or standing around a pair of blue boots poking out from underneath them. Even Cosmos herself knelt over the figure, who Rosa guessed was Firion. Cosmos sat by his head, with her legs tucked underneath her and with Warrior standing over her shoulder.

Rosa took a step, and her legs held her. She walked the short distance to where they were. She couldn't even see him. Everyone was crowding too closely.

"Move," she said. "Let me through." Warriors shifted, but nobody made any true effort to move. They couldn't tear their eyes from Firion, lying limp in the water. "I said move!" Rosa said, a little more forcefully. "Everyone. Everyone, move."

Cosmos looked around at the crowd around her. "Warrior, Cloud, and Squall," she said, calling their names as she saw them. "Bring Kain to us. Yuna, Tifa, fetch the Onion Knight. Quickly." Her tone was calm but her delivery was urgent, and when she gave the final command the five of them took off. "Everyone else, back away, please." They didn't go far; they stayed where they could see what Rosa would do.

"I cannot heal him," Cosmos said to Rosa, shaking her head sadly. "I am still too weak for something of this magnitude-"

"Just hold his head," Rosa said. "I don't want him tossing it back and hitting it off the ground."

Cosmos inched herself over behind his head and gently lifted it, cradling it in her lap. Rosa knelt down next to her.

"What about a Phoenix-" Cecil began, but Laguna cut him off.

"None of us have any. Otherwise, we'd have revived him already."

"You can help him, right, Rosa?" Tidus asked. She didn't look at him when he said it, but she heard the heaviness in his voice. The tension in the air was thick and choking. They all waited for her - silently begging her with their eyes and their hopes to help.

She didn't answer. She instead concentrated on the warmth building in her chest as she poured energy into the Arise spell. It was the first thing she truly 'felt' since the battle was over, and it came with an immense grounding sensation that eased many of her nerves. A sharp awareness that she herself created, that worked to root her back in her body. Her hands, which felt like they were hers, still trembled but not as terribly. This world was real, she was real, the attack had been real, but she was alright. Firion, lying dead in the water, was real, and she had a real obligation to help him.

With the Arise spell charged and ready, Rosa placed her hands on Firion's chest, over his heart. She gently pressed down, and the magic leaked from her hands into his skin. It drained from her and filled the space in his chest. The yellow-orange glow enveloped him, and Rosa made sure to hold her hands over him until the very last ounces of magic transferred.

She hadn't moved her hands before Firion't eyes flew open wide and he shot awake, lifting his head and gasping in as large a breath as he could take. Sure enough, his head flopped weakly back into Cosmos' lap. Cosmos sighed in relief and leaned over him, but Firion's unfocused eyes flicked around wildly. It was clear he had no idea where he was or who was around him. He panted breath after labored breath in, squirming impulsively against the discomfort.

Cosmos lifted his head and moved from under him, lowering him back to the water. She moved back to his side and placed her hands on either side of his face to turn him towards her, shielding his eyes and forcing him to focus on her. She stared into his eyes, and whatever peace and serenity Firion saw in the crystalline blue relaxed him. His breath came easily and he returned to awareness.

"C-Cosmos?" he asked.

She whispered softly, "Shh. Be at peace." He looked around and when he saw Rosa, his eyes hardened.

"Where is the Emperor? What happened?"

"He's gone," Rosa said.

"Gone? He just attacked and . . . left? But why-"

"Does it matter?" Rosa answered curtly.

Firion pulled himself to his feet and helped Cosmos up, and Rosa stood as well. Warrior and Cloud staggered over, dragging a nearly-unconscious Kain between them. His helmet was off from when he threw it down into the water. His head hung low, his chin rested against his chest. And his long, blonde hair spilled down over his shoulders and around his face, barring her view. A tiny jolt of nervous anticipation shot through her at the thought of seeing his face for the first time. What would she see? Would it bring back any memories? Would his eyes be the cold, harsh ones she suspected were under the dragon?

Rosa stepped closer, almost bending over to peer up into his face, but she stopped herself. She had already exploited his weakness once, out of ignorance and selfishness. The kind of selfishness she accused and attacked him for - using others and harming others for a selfish purpose. Kain still fought to protect her despite what she did, and that spoke far more for his character than anything else. She decided to bury her quarrels with him - at least until they needed to work it out. When they were on equal footing and both willing to engage in the dialogue.

Warrior grunted under his dead weight and cocked his head to Cosmos' throne. "There, to the steps," he said. "We can sit him up."

Rosa followed behind them with Squall, who carried his lance. They climbed the two stairs and lowered Kain to the ground. He sighed, leaning heavily against her throne, and he leaned his head back. When Rosa knelt in front of him, he opened his eyes and looked into hers.

They were evenly set, with an almond shape that matched the sharpness of the lower half of his face. Rosa saw a soft purple. Almost like an opaque lavender. He had a high, chiseled brow bone, and his brows themselves were sharp and angled as well. It was difficult not to stare. Without his helmet he looked remarkably less . . . enigmatic. Less like a sinister, traitorous dragon and more like a man.

"Are you injured?" she asked him.

"No. Weak," he said softly. Rosa watched the way his eyebrows furrowed, the way his eyes flicked back and forth. The flare of his nose. His whole face, visible and working together to show a range of emotion she had never seen him use before. "All my strength is gone."

"The Emperor Cursed you," she said. She paused, knowing that her next sentence could lead into dangerous territory. "I need you to tell me what I need to do to remove it. I cannot remember what a Curse is." If a Curse had anything to do with Kain's betrayal, it could quickly become volatile.

To her relief, he did not put up any sort of resistance. "Esuna should do it."

Rosa pulled her hands in and clasped them over her chest, drawing power into the spell. Before she could complete it, Kain reached out and gently touched her wrist. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No, I should apologize. The Emperor's vengeance was directed at me, but he dragged you into it."

"I wasn't referring to the Emperor. I'm sorry for keeping your memory from you."

"At this particular moment, nothing could be further from my mind," she told him. "Tell me later, when we've all recovered from this and both you and I are ready to face it." She cast Esuna on him, and he perked up instantly. He rolled his shoulders back, his eyes blinked with the sudden influx of energy. "What does a Curse do?" she asked.

"It's a kind of mind magic. It steals away almost all of your strength. Thank you," he said, staring at her, translating his sincerity through his eyes.

"You don't have to thank me. Should I retrieve your helmet?" she deflected.

Kain's eyebrows twitched downwards in confusion before his lavender eyes widened. He dragged his hand down the side of his face, like he forgot what his own face felt like. "In all honesty I forgot I lost it. I'll retrieve it. I believe you're needed, anyway." Kain pointed behind her, and Rosa turned to see Tifa and Yuna ushering the Onion Knight with them, clutching his helmet with white knuckles. Tifa had a tiny vial of Eye Drops in her hand and a cloth tangled around her fingers. Rosa wouldn't have to get them herself.

The Knight clutched at his face, scrubbing furiously at his eyes, and when Rosa approached he heard her. He looked up and his eyes were black. Pupils, irises, and all.

"Wh-Who's there?!" the Knight asked, panicked.

"I told you, it's Rosa," Tifa said.

"Yes. I'm here to help," she told him.

He reached out with one hand for her, swiping at the air to find her. With the other, he still rubbed his face and eyes. Rosa grabbed his hand and gently tugged him closer to her. She grabbed both of his wrists and pulled both hands away, holding them at his side so she could look at the severity of the spell. The Knight resisted her, ripping his hands from hers to wipe at his eyes. She tried again, two more times, but he couldn't keep his hands away from his face long enough for her to look.

Rosa grabbed his chin instead and tilted his head up, but he panicked. He backpedaled away from her, making Rosa walk after him. "Stop! Come back." He didn't get far before he tripped on his own feet, landing on his backside in the water. She didn't touch him again, only sat next to him. "Onion?" she said, using the pet-name. "I need you to calm down."

"It- it hurts!" he cried. "What if I'm Blinded forever?" He blinked rapidly, and tears, both from irritation and fear, spilled down his face in trails. He reached to scrub his eyes again, but Rosa stopped him.

"Stop. You won't be. Eye Drops," she said, reaching behind her. "And cloth." Tifa put both in her hand and she tilted his head straight back, nearly stretching his neck. He moved his hands but Rosa lightly slapped them down. "Ah! Don't touch!" Before he could protest she opened the tiny vial, pried his lids open with her fingers, and poured the liquid straight onto his face. Almost immediately the solution that entered his eyes worked to wash away the irritation. Black sludge flushed from his eyes with his tears, staining his cheeks black. Rosa used the cloth to wipe it away and quickly flushed his other eye as well.

As soon as his eyes were clear he squinted and blinked from the brightness of Sanctuary. He sucked in a huge breath and let it out, calming himself down. He focused on Rosa.

"Better?"

"Much better," he said, sniffling thickly. Rosa tried to smile at him, to reassure him, but he looked straight down at the ground. His cheeks, and even the tops of his ears turned red from his embarrassment.

Rosa's heart twinged in pity, and she grabbed his shoulders, pulling him close into a hug. "You're okay."

She wished someone would tell her that. She wished someone would hug her and tell her that she was okay, and that everything would be okay.

She wouldn't believe them if they did.

The emotion that she was blocking from the entire ordeal seemed to spring up from within her, and her eyes welled up before she could control it. All the security she thought she had was gone. Sanctuary was no longer safe for her or for anyone around her. She was no longer guaranteed the protection of her fellow warriors' numbers. Her heart clenched, her throat tightened, but she knew she couldn't let go in front of everyone. She pulled in a trembling breath and let it out slowly, clearing her throat.

"M' not a little kid," he muttered, gently resisting her hug.

Rosa released him. "I know. That was for me, because I'm grateful to you. I'm so glad you and Cecil and everyone came to my rescue," she told the Knight. How many more times would they have to before the Emperor left her alone? Left her alone or killed her?

What did she do to deserve this?

She held him at arms' length and smiled as well as she could, but it came out more like a grimace. If the Knight noticed, and she suspected he did because his eyebrows furrowed in concern, he didn't say anything about it.

"Thanks," he said.

Rosa stood up, looking all around her to make sure everyone was healed properly. Firion was already up on his feet, and so was Kain. The Knight could see again. No one else was injured or actively dying.

Now she could be alone.

"Rosa," Cosmos said. "Thank you-"

"You don't have to thank me," she said, avoiding looking at her. She hoped to avoid conversation. She wanted to be alone. Every word she said weakened her fortitude, and she risked breaking down right there in front of everyone. "I'm tired. Do you people even sleep?"

Cecil chuckled, but Rosa couldn't bring herself to."Oh," he said when he realized she wasn't laughing. "Um, yes-"

"Where?"

"Anywhere, really. Pick a spot where you feel you won't be disturbed, and-"

"These are Tifa's," Rosa said, and she handed him back the Eye Drops and the soiled cloth. She noticed one tall, curved rock that she liked, perfect for her to curl up next to and protect her back.

"Here, wait," Cecil said. She stopped and turned, and Cecil reached up over his shoulders. He fiddled with something on his pauldrons, finally unclipping his long, purple cape and tugging it over his shoulder. He balled it up, handing it over to her. "Use this as a pillow. And you can use your own as a blanket. Or vice versa."

"Thank you," she said. She took the fabric from him, but when she turned to walk away he held on to it. She turned back to him and he looked at her with pity.

"I'm glad you're alright. May I hug you?"

She wasn't sure why, but the fact that he felt the need to ask permission made her even more sad. Tears welled up and she nodded, stepping closer so he could wrap his arms around her. He put one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head, pressing her close. His rested his chin and his cheek against her hair, and Rosa wrapped her hands around his back, pulling him just as close as he pulled her. She trembled in his grip and realized she was already crying.

Cecil felt it, too. He released her and cupped his hands around her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "We will protect you should he return." She nodded, but didn't believe him. She felt like nobody could protect her. "You're strong, Rose. Stronger than him. And he's frightened of you."

"Thank you," she whispered, voice thick from her tears. She wiped them from her face and left, walking to the white rock and laying his cape down. She reached over her own shoulder, but she couldn't find any sort of clasp for her cape. It was fused to her pauldrons. Rosa instead slid both of her pauldrons off and rested them on the front of her shoulders instead. She lay all the fabric evenly over herself before laying down.

She was finally alone.

She turned away from Sanctuary and curled up. And as soon as she did, all the emotion in her heart welled up and spilled out. More of her hot, angry tears rolled down her cheeks instantly, dripping from, her nose and into Sanctuary's water. She pitied herself, called to this war without warning. Why her? Why did this have to happen to her? Even though she couldn't remember some of it, the loss of everything precious to her from her home weighed down on her heart.

This world would never provide her security anymore. As long as the Emperor made specific attempts on her life, she could never rest easy here. One single chance encounter ruined everything. Cosmos couldn't protect her. Her other warriors couldn't protect her. The Emperor had shattered every illusion of safety she thought she had, and she knew that from then on, she wold have to look over her shoulder.

Why couldn't she go home?

Rosa lamented everything she had lost, and cried until she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Woohoo! Another update!

I was so excited to post it that this chapter is un-beta'd. Sorry to my beta-reader!

The artist who made the cover piece for this updated Petal is Shannon Mazzei and you can check her out on Instagram at shannonmazzei41996. She owns the copyright to any art I may post, and I have her full permission to post her art here whenever it is finished.

Check her out!

~Keyblader


	24. Chapter 24

Rosa's feet dragged on the ground as she trudged to the crystal. Her head hung low; her very aura looked wilted and small, dimmed down to half its normal brilliance into a dull yellow. She looked broken, and Cosmos' heart weighed heavy in her chest at the sight. She knew Rosa would need time, but she suspected Rosa would not have the luxury. Not for Rosa's own sake, or for her sake.

She waited until Rosa settled before she sat down on her throne, sighing out her frustration. She smoothed her white dress down her legs and clasped her hands in her lap, but her emotions compelled her to wring and knead them.

"What's wrong?" Warrior asked. Of course he picked up on her nervous tics.

"I do not know what to make of this," she told him, referring to their discussion of Rosa's role in the long-term. "And I am sad for her." She met his eyes and held his gaze, and he nodded his understanding.

Cecil crossed his arms. "I know what to make of this. I think it was revenge, and nothing more," he said.

Warrior pulled his helmet from his head, letting his silvery hair loose. He gestured next to Cosmos and asked, "May I?" At her nod he sat next to her. "The Emperor always has ulterior motives," he said. "I have a difficult time believing this was only revenge, without some secondary purpose."

"I feel the same," Cosmos said. "What do you think his purpose was?"

"To strike down our White Mage. He had a previous encounter with Rosa, so he experienced first-hand how powerful she is. The Emperor is gifted enough in strategy to know that to cripple a battalion the most, incapacitate the mages."

"Then you believe this to be motivated by the cycle, and not by Rosa herself?" Cecil asked.

"I cannot say for sure, and neither can you. Though I _believe_ so, yes. Should Rosa fall, it would be devastating to us. She is the only primary White Mage in this war. The Emperor saw an opportunity and tried to take it." It was a truncated version of what he and Cosmos had discussed. Warrior stared at her, perhaps searching for validation that he said the right thing, and she figured he had. She affirmed it with a gentle tilt of her head.

"Well, regardless of his motives," Cecil said, "that was the most reckless thing I've ever seen a Chaos warrior do." He curled his finger around his chin and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, thinking through the Emperor's attack.

"Agreed," Warrior said. "Brazen is the word I'd use. Apparently, his desire to attack was strong enough for him to infiltrate Order's Sanctuary, with Cosmos and all seventeen of her warriors in the vicinity, just to attack one person."

"Not just one person," Cosmos said. "Rosa." Arguably the most essential warrior in her ranks at the moment. Doubt and uneasiness balled in Cosmos' stomach, turning it around inside of her. Without Rosa, all the hopes she had of turning the tides in her and her warriors' favors were lost. All the security she thought she had in a White Mage was gone. And she had no way to project exactly what it would mean for her and her warriors if Rosa fell. The only broad conclusion she could come to was destruction.

It was extremely out of character for the Emperor to go so far out of his way and endanger himself to harm her. The fact that he was ready to abandon his tendencies made him far more unpredictable than he already was. Any other Chaos warrior, and Cosmos would have felt inclined to tell her warriors to keep their guard up. But this was the Emperor.

Though she knew to hide it, the attack had shaken her.

"At the very least," Cosmos added, hoping to change the subject, "it proved exactly why we need her. She reversed an advanced-level Death spell without a hint of difficulty. Firion owes her his life, and we owe her our gratitude for reviving him."

"To be sure . . . " Cecil started, but his distant voice trailed off. "But _why_? Why go after _Kain_?" Cecil blurted out, still stuck on the Emperor. "He Cursed Kain before the battle even began. If he wanted to harm Rosa, why Curse Kain first? Why Curse Kain at all? That seems a bit superfluous. It is the only part of this that I cannot fit into any sort of rationale."

She shook her head. "I do not know, Cecil." Maybe the Emperor already knew of Kain's betrayal. From the way Rosa asked her about it earlier, Cosmos could guess it affected her greatly. The Emperor may have known that, and may have wanted to punish her in the harshest way he could think of.

Cosmos took a deep breath, huffing it out through her nose. "He was gloating," she said, voicing her thoughts.

"Gloating? How so?" Cecil asked.

"Before the battle, Rosa asked me about Kain. She told me that Kain betrayed his allies before. Perhaps the Emperor knew of this betrayal?" Cosmos asked. "And perhaps he was trying to parade the fact that he knew? The Emperor has a flair for the dramatic."

"I don't know how he could possibly know anything about that, unless my brother accidentally mentioned something at some point-" He froze, eyes going wide with his realization. "He said something to me, when we were battling. Tidus and I faced off with him, and he made a comment. He said that Rosa being here was 'fortunate' for me, and that he hoped the process of remembering everything wasn't too painful for me since she remembered something that happened to us while at home in our worlds."

"How would he know about that any more than Kain's betrayal?" Cosmos asked.

"We had been discussing it, after our sparring match."

"Then he was eavesdropping," Warrior said, "and masking his presence so we would not notice."

"Perhaps," Cosmos said.

"Even more brazen," Warrior replied softly. "I think the questions now are will he strike again, and how."

"I was hoping to speak to Firion about that," Cosmos told him. "I am sure that he can provide insight on the Emperor that will help me form an appropriate response to this." Bold retaliation had already briefly crossed her mind, but she dismissed it just as quickly. She would have to ask Rosa to be responsible for her teammates once again while they attacked the Emperor, and to ask that would be incredibly insensitive. He could - no, probably would - have any number of traps and snares ready.

Warrior hauled himself to his feet with a small grunt and set his helmet back down on her throne. He walked away, and Cosmos watched him stroll up to Firion and gesture back to her. He followed Warrior back, and when he came to rest in front of her, he stood casually, with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Like he hadn't died not minutes ago.

"How may I be of assistance?" He asked. Cosmos always thought of his voice as velvety. Smooth one way, and coarse the other.

"How are you feeling?" Cosmos asked first.

Firion nodded. "I am well, thanks to Rosa. I was hoping to thank her, but . . . " he said, turning and staring at her sleeping form across Sanctuary.

"She needs the rest now. When she awakens I am sure you will be able to speak with her. In the meantime, the Emperor orchestrated this attack. We are questioning his motives, and considering our next moves. I value your thoughts on this, Firion."

"With the Emperor, who can say for sure what his motives were? For all we know, it could have been some small part of any number of larger schemes."

"But what do you believe it to be?" Cosmos asked.

"This attack feels . . . different. I'm not sure that he had any motive. I think this was out of the blue."

"Why do you say that?"

"First, he has reason for cold revenge, and it's not unheard of for him to lose his temper. Second, for the Emperor, it seemed rather . . . spontaneous. Or sloppy, like he didn't have a plan. And he loves to plan," Firion said dryly.

"What if he _did_ plan it out," Cecil countered, "and it just went horribly wrong?"

"I don't think so. He's more careful than that. He moves his pieces into place far ahead of time. When his schemes are set into motion, it's nearly impossible to stop him. If he had this all worked out, he'd have had both Rosa and Kain alone."

"What do you think we should do?" Cosmos asked. "I think some sort of response is required, but I do not favor direct confrontation with him."

Firion shook his head. "I don't either. He'll be expecting that. He will have no doubt surrounded himself with traps and defenses by now. By the way, did he seem . . . injured to you?" Firion asked. "I noticed during the battle that he was favoring his left side. He kept his arm down, and when he did lift it, it seemed to pain him."

"I noticed that as well," Cecil said. "That was Rosa's doing, probably. She told me that when she battled him, she had stabbed him with her knife in the side. But anyway," he said, turning to Cosmos. "Should we mount some sort of indirect counterattack, then? Or perhaps round up some protection for Rosa? What say you? I think Rosa is in real danger, here. If the Emperor is targeting her, as Warrior said, he could be planning another attack as we speak. We need to keep her safe, especially if she is that important to us. Right? Don't you think we need protection for her?"

His tone rose steadily with each sentence until it sounded like he was panicking. Cecil looked down at Cosmos, almost pleadingly, as though he was begging her to say yes. Cosmos averted her gaze, pretending she didn't see the weight there in his eyes. She couldn't commit to anything right away. She needed time to think through all of her options. If she could spare the manpower, then perhaps she could protect Rosa, but she would have to leave other defensive opportunities weak-

"What say you?" Cecil asked again, stepping closer to her. "We have to do something!"

"I'm not sure yet, Cecil. Please give me time to think this through."

"If he strikes again, Rosa may not have time."

"There is more to think about than just Rosa, Cecil-" Warrior started, but Cosmos stopped him by placing her hand on his arm.

"I agree that Rosa must be protected. She is too important to us. My concern is how we will do it. Ideally, I'd have enough protection for Rosa and for Sanctuary both."

"We should start with Sanctuary," Warrior said. "We should fortify our defenses here in case of another attack by changing our patrol numbers and our patrol schedules. It would allow for more people to protect you at any given time."

"In case of another attack . . . " she repeated. The Emperor may not attack Sanctuary again. If he didn't, they'd be wasting their efforts. "Firion, do you think he will attack again?" Cosmos asked. "If not, I will focus on Rosa's protection."

"Cosmos-!" Warrior started, but she placed a warning in her blue eyes and looked up at him.

"You know why she needs it," Cosmos said, lowering her tone. "Do not challenge it."

"Your protection must be paramount. If you are injured or killed, then we are all doomed to fade. Rosa is important, yes, but so are you."

"I grow stronger by the day. Soon I will be strong enough to defend myself, and with a few warriors, I will be fine." Cosmos ended the discussion by turning back to Firion. "I apologize. Do you think the Emperor will attack again?"

Firion paused for a second to consider, then he answered, "No. I don't think he will. And even if he does, it won't be in the same way. He won't make the same mistake twice."

Cosmos nodded. "Then we will organize around Rosa."

Cecil jumped on her decision. "A protection detail, first and foremost. We should limit her patrol rounds, and give her extra protection when she goes out. And when the rest of us patrol, send less groups, but more people," Cecil added. "Just in case Rosa wasn't his only target."

"That would probably be best," Cosmos said, pausing to weigh the positives and negatives of each. By sending more people out on patrol, the chances of another random ambush or sneak attack diminished. By sending out less groups, even if there were more warriors on patrol, there would still be warriors left in Sanctuary to protect her. She wasn't sure if Rosa staying close to her side would afford either of them any safety considering the nature of the Emperor's first attack, but at the moment she couldn't foresee any other encounter. "I value Rosa's thoughts on this as well. We may decide something, but if she disagrees, we will respect her wishes. Warrior, I entrust you with the organization of the details of our new circumstances."

Warrior's discomfort was evident on his face, and he bristled against the order. He grudgingly agreed. "When I complete it, I will relay it to everyone."

"Thank you. It is imperative that Rosa stay safe. We need her."

Cecil nodded, clearly grateful for any extra efforts, no matter their reasons. "Warrior, I request permission to accompany her as often as possible. Even if it means I pull double shifts on patrol."

"I will do my best to see that you are together. However, if circumstance demands that you part I will separate you," Warrior said.

"Understood. Thank you."

"Very well."

After talking through it with her warriors, Cosmos felt a bit of the pressure lift from her shoulders. She had a plan, and she trusted her warriors enough to do whatever they had to do for a fellow Warrior's safety, and for her safety. Her immediate panic was gone, but instead it was replaced by a slow-eating dread. Something was not right about the Emperor's attack. All was not as it seemed, and the Emperor was planning something. She couldn't fathom what it could be, but no matter what, she and her warriors needed to put a stop to it. Especially if it endangered Rosa.

* * *

There was only one thought that kept the Emperor from seething:

His back-up plan was still in motion.

For a refreshing change of scenery, rather than return to his throne in Pandaemonium, the Emperor opted instead for the decrepit throne in the Chaos Shrine. He always liked how bland and quaint it was. He always liked the shredded, dirty cloth draped over the back. Probably pristine and colorful in its prime, but no longer. The red carpet that led upwards to the throne, elevated above everything else.

He sat down in the throne gently, slouching back to a comfortable position that didn't pull at his side. He rested his elbow on the armrest and leaned his head on his fist, sighing in relief.

The odd, old-fashioned, and simple aesthetic of the basement throne suited his unnaturally calm demeanor. He couldn't muster up the rage that normally would have plagued him over this disaster. The embarrassment was there - it seemed to be his constant companion of late. But he wasn't angry.

His back-up plan was still in motion.

Ultimecia, Kefka, and Exdeath were still hunting her, after all. And when they found her, they would eviscerate her. They would flay her, hopefully quarter her, murder her. His little excursion didn't work out, but it was fine. Her head would decorate Pandaemonium soon enough. And they would destroy her so completely, Shinryu wouldn't be able to collect enough of her pieces to revive her. Rosa would end up dead in the end, no matter how many times she managed to best him.

Yes, his back-up plan was still in motion.

Back-up plans were there for a reason. His hastily-made plan failed, but his back-up plan would not. He was certain of it. All that he could think to do now was check in on the three of them. He wanted to be sure that they were still in agreement. But he could do that later. His side ached, and what was left of the arrow wounds throbbed with his heartbeat. The Emperor tried another healing spell on his side, hoping the wound had healed enough on its own to close completely, but he didn't feel like checking it.

His entire attack had been a disaster, but no matter.

His back-up plan was still in motion.

And it would not fail on his watch.

* * *

 _ **A/N: It's me again! Back with another update!**_

 _ **Let me know what you think of this chapter, or this fic in general! Leave a comment if you have the time! After Rosa and Cecil's fight scene, and after the Emperor's attack, they needed some down time. In the upcoming chapters I'm hoping to include more interactions with Rosa and the other warriors.**_


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